Social-media reaction to voters rejecting stadium tax for Chiefs, Royals

Pete Grathoff
·5 min read
55

The score of this one was lopsided.

Jackson County voters rejected the 40-year, 3/8th-cent sales tax which would have helped pay for a new Royals stadium in the Crossroads along with renovations to GEHA Field Arrowhead Stadium for the Chiefs.

Question 1 on the ballot failed 58% to 42%, with 78,352 people voting no and 56,606 casting a yes vote.

Chiefs and Royals fans, along with others, shared their thoughts on social media about the ballot measure being voted down. There was a wide range of reactions. Here is a sample of what was being said on X, Facebook and Reddit.

A fan on Facebook wrote: “I have no problem with the royals building a new stadium and I have no problem with them using tax dollars for it. I just don’t want it in the crossroads. There is plenty of vacant land around KC and in the Truman Sports Complex.”

Another shared this: “Invest in The K like Mr. Kauffman did. That’s what fans want, anybody else concerned about amenities isn’t at the game for baseball.”

A fan wrote on Reddit: “I could be wrong, but I think the outcome of this vote is more about the way the Royals handled it. Chiefs could have handled it better, but the Royals were shady ... and they lost the trust of the community.”

Another shared this: “I liked the Royals’ proposal. I think it would’ve been a great use of that space. Almost nothing about the Chiefs part of the proposal seemed interesting to me, besides the fact that they’d be staying at Arrowhead and upgrading some concourses.”

A fan on Facebook wrote: “Please, if you come to the taxpayers with a proposal, please do us the respect of generating a real plan. This would include plans for realistic parking, detailed plat maps and designs, and comprehensive plans on how the state/city will upgrade infrastructure to accommodate traffic.”

Another shared this: “I was on board when NKC and the West Village were being discussed, but got off the train when they started talking about downtown because there didn’t seem to be any actual considerations for the fans. No real access to parking. No tailgating. Not making the games more affordable for the local fanbase. Not to mention many of the current tenants of the Crossroads being displaced and the vibe of the Crossroads being changed or lost altogether. Show us something that makes us feel like we are an actual part of it all and not just footing the bill and maybe the vote will be different next time. And stop with the threats about leaving. Show us that you are as loyal to us as you want us to be to you.”

A fan on Reddit wrote: “I wasn’t planning on voting. Seeing their scare tactic ad campaign made me be sure to go out and vote no.”

Another shared this: “I think if they would have been open and positive this would have passed. But they were threatening and secretive. Midwesterners don’t take kindly to threats.”