‘Beat the billionaire Goliath’: Opponents of Chiefs, Royals tax rejoice at vote outcome

As several dozen opponents of the proposed Jackson County stadiums sales tax watched the ballot measure go down in defeat, a cry went up from the crowd.

“It’s a blowout!” someone shouted.

Becky Nace, a former Kansas City Council member who led an opposition group, held up her arms in an “X” in celebration at the watch party Tuesday night at Green Dirt on Oak, a new restaurant near the proposed Royals stadium in the Crossroads that opens Wednesday.

The scene marked the culmination of months of political maneuvering, campaigning and public messaging by both sides.

In final unofficial results, “no” led “yes” 58% to 42% – a margin of 21,746 votes.

Nace went to the 1985 World Series the Royals won and has been a season ticket holder for 13 years. She had taken her grandkids for photos with Sluggrrr and to play at the Little K.

She described the vote as “a bad deal hidden by good players.”

When the Royals outlined its proposed stadium, the footprint covered six city blocks, extending from Grand Boulevard to Locust Street, and 17th Street to Truman Road. The plan also included a ballpark district around the stadium with offices, retail and residential development. Under pressure last week, the Royals announced Oak Street would remain open, after earlier plans called for its closure.

The Crossroads site — chosen over an East Village location seen as less developed — outraged both businesses in the path of the proposed stadium and others nearby, who feared the buildings housing their businesses would either be demolished or they would be effectively priced out in the coming years.

More broadly across Jackson County, voters questioned the need for their tax dollars to aid the teams and their wealthy owners. Others questioned whether the public aid to help build a new Royals stadium would be worth the economic benefit.

And key questions remained unanswered heading into the vote. Would Missouri lawmakers have approved state funding, and if so, how much? Would the Jackson County Legislature have approved binding lease agreements with the teams? How much aid would Kansas City have provided?

Adrianna Schoonover, who lives in an apartment in the Crossroads, voted “no.” The whole process surrounding the proposed stadium had been “scary,” she said, “and unfortunately has been one of a lot of silence.”

The failure of the tax is a testament to democracy, she said at a watch party at Chartreuse Saloon, a bar that was originally in the footprint of the proposed stadium where KC Tenants, the citywide tenant union that opposed the ballot measure, celebrated as results came in.

“If this is stuck down, if it’s a ‘no,’ it’s due to the power of the people — making our voices heard and fighting against a really big group of people with a lot of really big money that we just don’t have,” Schoonover said.

The proposed 3/8th-cent sales tax was projected to generate upwards of roughly $2 billion over 40 years. The tax would have replaced the current 3/8th-cent sales tax, set to expire in 2031, which funds the Truman Sports Complex.

The teams shared renderings of their proposed projects and have pledged financial contributions: $1 billion from the Royals for the estimated $2 billion ballpark district in the Crossroads, and $300 million from the Chiefs for $800 million in renovations at its current Truman Sports Complex site. However, while the Chiefs’ contribution was cemented in lease documents, the Royals’ was not.

“Any time you are talking about a $2 billion deal with no agreement, nobody’s business even accepts that,” said Jackson County Executive Frank White, who opposed the sales tax.

At a watch party for sales tax supporters at the J. Rieger & Co. distillery, the mood turned more sedate as the results rolled in. A group of VIPs, including at one point Chiefs president Mark Donovan, huddled in a side room throughout the evening.

Just before 9 p.m., Donovan and Royals owner John Sherman conceded defeat as dozens of supporters gathered around a lectern.

“We will take some time to reflect on and process the outcome and find a path forward that works for the Royals and our fans,” Sherman said.

Sherman and Donovan took no questions.

At Green Dirt, local musician Calvin Arsenia played the harp in the low-lit space, with people lined up for alcohol – no cheese today. Some supporters wore Royals shirts, while even more sported “I voted” stickers.

Sipping a Kentucky Mule at the Vote No party, Annelissa Taylor said she hopes the Royals reconsider an East Village location. Taylor likened the defeat of the ballot measure to “kind of like David and Goliath. You did beat the billionaire Goliath.”

Even some voters who ended up supporting the tax voiced doubts. Evalyn McDonald, of Raytown, voted in favor of the measure but said she nearly voted against it because of concerns about the proposed Crossroads location. McDonald, a fan of both teams, said she didn’t understand why renovations at the Truman Sports Complex wouldn’t work.

“I am really concerned about the displacement of the businesses and the residents in that area,” she said of the Crossroads site. “It’s always the little person who loses out, seems like.”

The vote yes campaign, formally named the Committee to Keep the Chiefs and Royals in Jackson County, failed despite the teams contributing upwards of $3 million. It was managed by a former top operative for Florida Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis.

The threat of the teams leaving Jackson County – implied in the campaign’s name – hung over the campaign. But it wasn’t enough to persuade a majority of voters to support the sales tax.

Leo Contreras, a Northeast Kansas City resident, said he worried about funding for the public library, mental health facilities and schools, which receive property tax dollars. He feared another tax would have been proposed to help backstop lost dollars.

“I think this whole process has been a complete disaster just from the beginning. The Royals organization, I don’t feel, provided the information that was needed for this vote,” Contreras said.

Voters like Pauline Wasserman illustrate why the Chiefs and Royals’ campaign floundered. After casting her ballot Tuesday afternoon at Resurrection Brookside, she said tax revenue needs to go toward addressing homelessness and other priorities.

“I think the people that want this, they have a lot of money,” Wasserman said. “And they ought to pay for it.”

The Star’s Nathan Pilling contributed reporting