As the fight over the Kansas City Chiefs and Royals drags on, Missouri Gov. Mike Kehoe this week plans to sign a bill that could attract one of the teams to the Northland.
The legislation would allow Clay County to create a governmental agency called a sports complex authority. The authority would be similar to the one in Jackson County that controls the leases for both teams.
Supporters of the bill, which state lawmakers passed in May, view the authority as a key tool that could open a path for a new Royals stadium or a Chiefs training facility in Clay County.
A schedule released by Kehoe’s office shows that the Republican governor plans to sign the bill into law in St. Louis on Thursday. Kehoe is then scheduled to travel to North Kansas City to hold a signing ceremony at Chappell’s Restaurant & Sports Museum at 4:30 p.m. Friday.
“I’m looking forward to signing these bills in the next several days,” Kehoe said in a video on social media on Tuesday. He did not specifically mention the sports authority legislation.
Kehoe’s expected signature comes as officials in Kansas and Missouri have fought over the future of the teams, with both states passing sweeping incentives plans. Just weeks after Kehoe signed Missouri’s plan into law, Kansas officials extended their incentives proposal until the end of the year.
Clay County Presiding Commissioner Jerry Nolte said he was pleased by Kehoe’s expected signature on the sports authority bill. The authority, he said, is necessary if one of the teams decides to move to Clay County.
“My feeling is we are still, you know, in play and we are still in the hunt on this thing,” said Nolte, who added that negotiations were still ongoing. “It’s been a long process and hopefully we’re getting to where it’s rounding off.”
Despite the energy surrounding the bill and the dueling incentives plans, neither team has committed to either state. The Chiefs have said, if they stay in Missouri, they would like to renovate Arrowhead Stadium, but the Royals have offered no specifics about their plans.
If the Royals decide to stay in Missouri, it could fuel a fight over the team between Kansas City and Clay County. But supporters of the Clay County authority argue the bill is not intended to spark competition between the city and the Northland.
City officials have regularly touted a downtown Kansas City site at Washington Square Park as the best location for the Royals while some state leaders have pointed to a spot in North Kansas City in Clay County.
News of a recent real estate deal tied to an Overland Park site in Kansas has also intensified speculation about the Royals’ intentions — and their preferred stadium location.
What would the authority do?
Once Kehoe signs the bill, the new law would go into effect on Aug. 28. It would authorize Clay County to create a sports complex authority “for the purposes of developing, maintaining, or operating…sports, convention, exhibition, or trade facilities.”
The sports authority would operate as a state governmental agency with five commissioners appointed by Kehoe. Some supporters argue that even if the authority doesn’t help lure one of the teams, it could still help Clay County’s tourism economy.
But state lawmakers would be able to fund up to $3 million for the authority’s operations if the authority secures a professional sports team from the NFL, NHL or the American League of the MLB.
“We have a lot of confidence that Clay County has a lot to offer,” Nolte said. “We hope that is shared by the teams.”