TOPEKA, Kan. (WIBW) - Kansas lawmakers heard a bill Tuesday that would create the Kansas Sports Facilities Authority to oversee a new stadium for the Kansas City Chiefs.
The authority is required for the broader stadium deal to move forward. Republican Sen. Sean Tarwater introduced the bill last week.
### Board structure
The authority would consist of nine members, all Kansas residents. Nominations would come from the following:
* Governor
* House speaker
* House majority leader
* House minority leader
* Senate president
* Senate majority leader
* Senate minority leader
* Secretary of Commerce
* The team
The mayors of Olathe and Wyandotte would sit on the board as nonvoting members.
“The authority will serve as a watchdog for Kansas taxpayers,” said Rachel Willis of the Kansas Department of Commerce.
Willis also said local leaders should have a greater role.
“We ask that the mayor of the city, who makes their local sales tax acquirement pledge, become voting members of the authority,” Willis said. “Since both municipalities will have facilities for the sports teams in their
### Chiefs, supporters weigh in
Korb Maxwell, a lawyer representing the Kansas City Chiefs, said a smaller board is preferable.
“The smaller the better in our mind because you need to have a functional and operating board,” Maxwell said.
Maxwell also cited the prevalence of public stadium ownership across the NFL.
“Across the National Football League, public ownership is the standard structure,” Maxwell said. “26 of 30 NFL stadiums in this country operate under public ownership.”
The bill gives major tax breaks, bonding authority and regulatory exemptions while keeping all debt off the state’s books. It would also exempt the authority from many Kansas laws, which opponents say will cost the state money.
### Supporters and opposition
The Kansas State High School Activities Association, Kansas Chamber, Scoop and Score, and leaders from Wyandotte and Olathe voiced support for the bill.
“Fans across the county will come to games, concerts, and other events, spending literally millions of dollars in Kansas, but this — the largest economic development deal in the state — is also an economic income boom for folks who wear different uniforms,” said Jason Watkins of Scoop and Score.
The bill is tied to an existing STAR bond agreement with the Chiefs. The House Commerce Committee is scheduled to work on the bill on Wednesday.
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