Voters reject stadium tax for Royals and Chiefs, leaving future in KC in question

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — The future of the Royals and Chiefs in Kansas City was thrown into question Tuesday night when residents of Jackson County, Missouri, resoundingly voted down a sales tax measure that would have helped to fund a new downtown ballpark along with major renovations to Arrowhead Stadium.

Royals owner John Sherman and Chiefs president Mark Donovan acknowledged long before the final tally that the initiative would fail. More than 58% of voters ultimately rejected the plan, which would have replaced an existing three-eighths of a cent sales tax that has been paying for the upkeep of Truman Sports Complex — the home for more than 50 years to Kauffman and Arrowhead Stadiums — with a similar tax that would have been in place for the next 40 years.

The Royals, who had pledged at least $1 billion from ownership for their project, wanted to use their share of the tax revenue to help fund a $2 billion-plus ballpark district. The Super Bowl champion Chiefs, who had committed $300 million in private money, would have used their share as part of an $800 million overhaul of Arrowhead Stadium.

“We’re deeply disappointed as we are steadfast in our belief that Jackson County is better with the Chiefs and the Royals,” said Sherman, who left without taking questions. “As someone whose roots run deep in this town, who has been a dedicated fan and season-ticket holder for both of these teams, and now leading a remarkable ownership group.”

Donovan said the Chiefs would do “what is in the best interest of our fans and our organization as we move forward.”

That could mean many things: The Chiefs could try again with a reworked plan more agreeable to voters, change their entire funding approach to include more private investment, or they could even listen to offers from competing cities and states — such as Kansas, just across the state line to the west — that would provide the public funding they desire.

“We’ve been talking a lot about the democratic process. We respect the process,” Donovan said. “We feel we put forth the best offer for Jackson County. We’re ready to extend the longstanding partnership the teams have enjoyed with this county.”

The current lease lease at Truman Sports Complex lasts through Jan. 31, 2031. And while Sherman has said the Royals would not play at Kauffman Stadium beyond the 2030 season, the Chiefs are hopeful of remaining at Arrowhead Stadium.

The tax — or, more accurately, the stadium plans — received significant public pushback almost from the start, when the teams struggled to put concrete plans before voters and were accused of lacking transparency throughout the process.

Last fall, the Royals unveiled two potential locations for their ballpark district, one on the eastern edge of downtown and the other across the Missouri River in Clay County, Missouri. But a self-imposed deadline to finalize their location lapsed without a plan, and in February, they finally announced they had scrapped both concepts and chosen a different downtown spot.

The new area, known as the Crossroads, has a vibrant arts and restaurant scene, and it is just blocks away from the T-Mobile Center and the bustling Power & Light entertainment district. It also is close to the Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts and the 18th & Vine district, which is home to the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum.

But even then, plans remained vague. The latest ballpark renderings were made obsolete just last week when the Royals acquiesced to Kansas City Mayor Quinton Lucas’ request that a major street that would have been part of the stadium footprint remain open; Lucas did not endorse the tax initiative until the Royals agreed to the change.

“I think everyone has the same mixed feelings,” said Deidre Chasteen, a voter from Independence, Missouri, who remembers attending games downtown at old Municipal Stadium when the Royals played there from 1969-72.

“It’s not that we mind paying the three-eighths-cent sales tax. I think the problem is putting the stadium where it is,” Chasteen said. “We’re saying don’t ruin businesses that have been established down there for years.”

The club also had not reached sales agreements with many landowners in the Crossroads, and other businesses had expressed concerns about traffic, congestion and parking in an already thriving residential neighborhood.

Sarah Tourville, the Royals’ executive vice president, said the goal was to move into the stadium for opening day in 2028.

The Royals moved from Municipal Stadium to Kauffman Stadium in 1973 and extensively renovated the ballpark from 2009-12. Arrowhead Stadium was built alongside Kauffman Stadium and also was renovated around the same time.

While the Royals insist on playing in a new ballpark, the Chiefs wanted to stay put with a renovation that would have touched every aspect of their 52-year-old building, from the seating bowl to luxury amenities to the tailgating scene.

“We would not be willing to sign a lease for another 25 years without the financing to properly renovate and reimagine the stadium,” Chiefs chairman Clark Hunt, whose father, Lamar Hunt, helped get the existing stadiums built, said before Tuesday’s vote. “The financing puzzle is very important to us to make sure we have enough funds to do everything we’ve outlined.”

The Chiefs had hoped their success, including three Super Bowl titles in the last five years, would sway voters in their favor.

“What my dad loved best about the stadium was the connection the team had with our fanbase,” Hunt said. “He loved this building for what it means to the fans, and we still believe it is one of the best stadiums in the National Football League and a bucket-list destination for fans across the NFL.”

Associated Press writer Nick Ingram contributed to this report.

AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb and AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/nfl

A man votes Tuesday, April 2, 2024, at Yellow Rock Barn in Kansas City, Mo. Voters are being asked to decide whether to extend a sales tax to fund a new baseball stadium for the Kansas City Royals and football stadium improvements for the Kansas City Chiefs. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)

Katherine Castle votes Tuesday, April 2, 2024, at Yellow Rock Barn in Kansas City, Mo. Voters are being asked to decide whether to extend a sales tax to fund a new baseball stadium for the Kansas City Royals and football stadium improvements for the Kansas City Chiefs. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)

Kansas City Chiefs president Mark Donovan address the crowd during an election watch party after voters rejected the extension of a sales tax to provide funding for a new baseball stadium for the Kansas City Royals and renovations for the Chiefs' football stadium Tuesday, April 2, 2024, in Kansas City, Mo. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)

Jeff Gaeth votes Tuesday, April 2, 2024, at Yellow Rock Barn in Kansas City, Mo. Voters are being asked to decide whether to extend a sales tax to fund a new baseball stadium for the Kansas City Royals and football stadium improvements for the Kansas City Chiefs. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)

Kansas City Chiefs president Mark Donovan address the crowd during an election watch party after voters rejected the extension of a sales tax to provide funding for a new baseball stadium for the Kansas City Royals and renovations for the Chiefs' football stadium Tuesday, April 2, 2024, in Kansas City, Mo. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)

Kansas City Royals owner John Sherman address the crowd during an election watch party after voters rejected the extension of a sales tax to provide funding for a new baseball stadium for the Royals and renovations for the Kansas City Chiefs' football stadium Tuesday, April 2, 2024, in Kansas City, Mo. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)

Kansas City Royals owner John Sherman, left, address the media while Kansas City Chiefs president Mark Donovan looks on during a news conference about a plan to extend a sales tax to provide funding to build a new stadium for the Royals and stadium improvement for the Chiefs Saturday, March 30, 2024, at Kauffman Stadium in Kansas City, Mo. Jackson County, Mo. residents will vote on the question Tuesday, April 2. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)

Kansas City Royals owner John Sherman, left, looks on while Kansas City Mayor Quinton Lucas endorses a plan to extend an existing sales tax to provide funding for a new baseball stadium for the Royals and stadium improvements for the Kansas City Chiefs Saturday, March 30, 2024, at Kauffman Stadium in Kansas City, Mo. Jackson County, Mo. residents will vote on the question Tuesday, April 2. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)

Kansas City Royals owner John Sherman address the media during a news conference about a plan to extend a sales tax to provide funding to build a new stadium for the Royals and stadium improvement for the Kansas City Chiefs Saturday, March 30, 2024, at Kauffman Stadium in Kansas City, Mo. Jackson County, Mo. residents will vote on the question Tuesday, April 2. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)

Kansas City Chiefs owner Clark Hunt, left, and Kansas City Royals owner John Sherman talk before a baseball game between the Kansas City Royals and the Minnesota Twins Thursday, March 28, 2024, in Kansas City, Mo. Jackson County voters will decide on a ballot question to extend a sales tax to fund a new stadium for the Royals and stadium improvements for the Chiefs in an election held Tuesday, April 2. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)

Kansas City Royals owner John Sherman, left, address the media while Kansas City Chiefs president Mark Donovan looks on during a news conference about a plan to extend a sales tax to provide funding to build a new stadium for the Royals and stadium improvement for the Chiefs Saturday, March 30, 2024, at Kauffman Stadium in Kansas City, Mo. Jackson County, Mo. residents will vote on the question Tuesday, April 2. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)

An Air Force B2 bomber flies over Kauffman Stadium before a baseball game between the Kansas City Royals and the Minnesota Twins Thursday, March 28, 2024, in Kansas City, Mo. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)

KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — Months of relentless Russian artillery pounding have devastated a strategic city in eastern Ukraine, new drone footage obtained by The Associated Press shows, with barely a building left intact, homes and municipal offices charred and a town that once had a population of 12,000 now all but deserted.

The footage shows Chasiv Yar — set amid green fields and woodland — pounded into an apocalyptic vista. The destruction is reminiscent of the cities of Bakhmut and Avdiivka, which Ukraine yielded after months of bombardment and huge losses for both sides.

The strategically important city has been under attack by Russian forces for months. Capturing it would give Russia control of a hilltop from which it can attack other cities that form the backbone of Ukraine’s eastern defenses.

That would set the stage for a potentially broader Russian offensive that Ukrainian officials say could come as early as this month.

Russia launched waves of assaults on foot and in armored vehicles at Chasiv Yar's outnumbered Ukrainian troops, who have run desperately short of ammunition while waiting for the U.S. and other allies to send fresh supplies.

Rows of mid-rise apartment blocks in Chasiv Yar have been blackened by blasts, punched through with holes or reduced to piles of timber and masonry. Houses and civic buildings are heavily damaged. The golden dome of a church remains intact but the building appears badly damaged.

No soldiers or civilians were seen in the footage shot Monday and exclusively obtained by the AP, apart from a lone man walking down the middle of a road between wrecked structures.

Regional Gov. Vadym Filashkin said Wednesday on Ukrainian TV that 682 residents have held on in Chasiv Yar, living in “very difficult conditions.” The city had a pre-war population of over 12,500. Filashkin said that those remaining have lacked running water and power for over a year, and that it is “ever more difficult” for humanitarian aid to reach them.

The destruction underscores Russia’s scorched-earth tactics throughout more than two years of war, as its troops have killed and displaced thousands of civilians.

NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg acknowledged Monday that the delayed delivery of allies' military aid to Ukraine had left the country at the mercy of the Kremlin's bigger and better-equipped forces.

Ukraine and its Western partners are racing to deploy critical new military aid that can help check the slow but steady Russian advance as well as thwart drone and missile attacks.

Elsewhere, Ukrainian authorities reported that two civilians died and at least nine others, included an 11-year-old boy, were wounded Wednesday after Russian aerial guided bombs pummeled a village in the northeastern Kharkiv region.

According to Gov. Oleh Syniehubov, a 64-year-old man and 38-year-old woman - both locals - were killed after one of the bombs detonated near their car in Zolochiv, some 20 kilometers (12 miles) from the border with Russia.

In the southern Black Sea port of Odesa, at least 13 people were injured after a Russian ballistic missile slammed into the city late Wednesday, regional Gov. Oleh Kiper said in a Telegram update. He did not say what had been hit, but reported the blast had sparked a major fire.

Videos circulating on social media showed huge plumes of smoke rising skywards at the site. Nova Poshta, a large Ukrainian postal and courier company, said in a Facebook post Wednesday that one of its sorting depots had been struck, but claimed no employees were among those hurt.

Odesa has been a frequent target for Russian firepower, with eight civilians killed by Russian missiles in the city over the past two days.

Follow AP’s coverage of the war in Ukraine at https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine

In this photo provided by the Ukrainian Emergency Service, emergency service personnel try to extinguish a fire following a Russian attack in Odesa, Ukraine, Wednesday, May 1, 2024. (Ukrainian Emergency Service via AP)

In this photo provided by the Ukrainian Emergency Service, emergency services personnel work to extinguish a fire following a Russian attack in Odesa, Ukraine, Wednesday, May 1, 2024. (Ukrainian Emergency Service via AP)

This photo taken from a drone video provided by Ukraine Patrol Police, shows devastation in Chasiv Yar, an eastern Ukrainian city Russia is assaulting, Ukraine, Monday, April 29, 2024. The footage shows the community of Chasiv Yar - which is set amid green fields and woodland - reduced to a skeletal ghost town with few residents left. The apocalyptic scene is reminiscent of the cities of Bakhmut and Avdiivka, which Ukraine yielded after months of bombardment and huge losses for the Kremlin’s forces. (Ukraine Patrol Police via AP)

This photo taken from a drone video provided by Ukraine Patrol Police, shows devastation in Chasiv Yar, an eastern Ukrainian city Russia is assaulting, Ukraine, Monday, April 29, 2024. The footage shows the community of Chasiv Yar - which is set amid green fields and woodland - reduced to a skeletal ghost town with few residents left. The apocalyptic scene is reminiscent of the cities of Bakhmut and Avdiivka, which Ukraine yielded after months of bombardment and huge losses for the Kremlin’s forces. (Ukraine Patrol Police via AP)

This photo taken from a drone video provided by Ukraine Patrol Police, shows devastation in Chasiv Yar, an eastern Ukrainian city Russia is assaulting, Ukraine, Monday, April 29, 2024. The footage shows the community of Chasiv Yar - which is set amid green fields and woodland - reduced to a skeletal ghost town with few residents left. The apocalyptic scene is reminiscent of the cities of Bakhmut and Avdiivka, which Ukraine yielded after months of bombardment and huge losses for the Kremlin’s forces. (Ukraine Patrol Police via AP)

This photo taken from a drone video provided by Ukraine Patrol Police, shows devastation in Chasiv Yar, an eastern Ukrainian city Russia is assaulting, Ukraine, Monday, April 29, 2024. The footage shows the community of Chasiv Yar - which is set amid green fields and woodland - reduced to a skeletal ghost town with few residents left. The apocalyptic scene is reminiscent of the cities of Bakhmut and Avdiivka, which Ukraine yielded after months of bombardment and huge losses for the Kremlin’s forces. (Ukraine Patrol Police via AP)

This photo taken from a drone video provided by Ukraine Patrol Police, shows devastation in Chasiv Yar, an eastern Ukrainian city Russia is assaulting, Ukraine, Monday, April 29, 2024. The footage shows the community of Chasiv Yar - which is set amid green fields and woodland - reduced to a skeletal ghost town with few residents left. The apocalyptic scene is reminiscent of the cities of Bakhmut and Avdiivka, which Ukraine yielded after months of bombardment and huge losses for the Kremlin’s forces. (Ukraine Patrol Police via AP)

This photo taken from a drone video provided by Ukraine Patrol Police, shows a man walking through devastation in Chasiv Yar, an eastern Ukrainian city Russia is assaulting, Ukraine, Monday, April 29, 2024. The footage shows the community of Chasiv Yar - which is set amid green fields and woodland - reduced to a skeletal ghost town with few residents left. The apocalyptic scene is reminiscent of the cities of Bakhmut and Avdiivka, which Ukraine yielded after months of bombardment and huge losses for the Kremlin’s forces. (Ukraine Patrol Police via AP)

This photo taken from a drone video provided by Ukraine Patrol Police, shows devastation in Chasiv Yar, an eastern Ukrainian city Russia is assaulting, Ukraine, Monday, April 29, 2024. The footage shows the community of Chasiv Yar - which is set amid green fields and woodland - reduced to a skeletal ghost town with few residents left. The apocalyptic scene is reminiscent of the cities of Bakhmut and Avdiivka, which Ukraine yielded after months of bombardment and huge losses for the Kremlin’s forces. (Ukraine Patrol Police via AP)

This photo taken from a drone video provided by Ukraine Patrol Police, shows devastation in Chasiv Yar, an eastern Ukrainian city Russia is assaulting, Ukraine, Monday, April 29, 2024. The footage shows the community of Chasiv Yar - which is set amid green fields and woodland - reduced to a skeletal ghost town with few residents left. The apocalyptic scene is reminiscent of the cities of Bakhmut and Avdiivka, which Ukraine yielded after months of bombardment and huge losses for the Kremlin’s forces. (Ukraine Patrol Police via AP)

This photo taken from a drone video provided by Ukraine Patrol Police, shows devastation in Chasiv Yar, an eastern Ukrainian city Russia is assaulting, Ukraine, Monday, April 29, 2024. The footage shows the community of Chasiv Yar - which is set amid green fields and woodland - reduced to a skeletal ghost town with few residents left. The apocalyptic scene is reminiscent of the cities of Bakhmut and Avdiivka, which Ukraine yielded after months of bombardment and huge losses for the Kremlin’s forces. (Ukraine Patrol Police via AP)