The Friday news dump is an established thing by now, but it has a couple of different uses: It can be a way of avoiding scrutiny by releasing news at a time when you hope no one will pay attention; or it can be a way of hoping that you can control the narrative by getting your announcement covered by the media while not leaving reporters any time to reach critics for comment before they go home for the weekend.
Which brings us to the statement issued jointly by the owners of the Kansas City Royals and Chiefs at 5 pm on Friday, promising to stay put long-term — so long as county voters show them the money:
— Kansas City Royals (@Royals) January 5, 2024
The upshot: The teams will “remain in Jackson County” — seemingly on 40-year lease extensions though it doesn’t explicitly promise that — “if Jackson County voters approve an extension of the 3/8-cent sales tax on a ballot initiative this April.” This would include “more than $200 million in new economic benefits” to the county by “alleviating the County’s obligation to pay stadium insurance premiums as well as the park levy to the teams.”
This is a little bit of carrot and lot of stick: The insurance premiums and park levy money have previously been estimated to cost $500 million in present value over 40 years, so removing those would indeed reduce the proposed subsidy. (Assuming “alleviating” means “removing,” which it doesn’t really.) And in order to secure that promise, and a commitment not to skip town, voters would just have to approve funneling another $500 million or so worth of future sales taxes to the two teams. And they would have to do so in April, which would mean the county legislature would have to vote by January 23 to put it on the April 2 ballot, or else the team owners’ promise is null and void.
The timing here, then, appears to have been intended to give members of the county legislature time over the weekend to mull over the situation in advance of a possible vote on setting that April referendum — a vote that has already been put off several times. We’ll find out when the legislature meets today if the gambit worked; if it did, then prepare for three months of “Jackson County voters need to approve decades more of sales tax surcharges or else their teams will leave,” which worked pretty well one state over in Oklahoma, why mess with success?
“or else their teams will leave…”
and move 2-10 miles away. What % of Jackson County residents only watch games on tv and never go to the stadium? Possibly enough to be a majority in the election.