KANSAS CITY, Kan. (KCTV) - Leaders in the Unified Government of Wyandotte County filed a lawsuit Friday that challenges several items in the Kansas Sports Authority Act.
House Bill 2466, which would enact the Kansas Sports Authority Act and authorize STAR Bond projects -- including the area of Kansas City, Kansas, where the Kansas City Chiefs plan to build their future home -- includes several provisions that the UG takes issue with.
“This case is about who decides how a community governs itself,” lawyers for the UG wrote in the lawsuit. “The Unified Government does not oppose economic development, and it does not oppose professional football in Kansas. But House Bill 2466 does more than invite a stadium to Wyandotte County.”
The bill’s removal of the local government’s power to tax, to zone and plan, to set and collect local fees and to provide utility service through the community’s publicly-owned utility was taken issue with by county officials in Friday’s lawsuit.
“It gives those powers to a new state authority whose actions may not conflict with a private agreement with the Kansas City Chiefs,” the lawsuit read, “and whose board includes a member chosen by the team itself.”
The lawsuit, filed Friday in the Wyandotte County District Court, listed the State of Kansas, Kansas Sports Facilities Authority, Attorney General Kris Kobach and Lieutenant Governor and Secretary of Commerce David Toland as defendants.
Wyandotte County officials said the lawsuit is “not to stop a stadium, but to ensure that the people of Wyandotte County, through their elected local officials, keep a voice in decisions that will shape their community for generations.”
Kansas City Chiefs owner Clark Hunt, right, and Kansas Gov. Laura Kelly, pose for a photo...
Kansas City Chiefs owner Clark Hunt, right, and Kansas Gov. Laura Kelly, pose for a photo during an event announcing the team will leave Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City, Mo. for a new stadium that will be built across the Kansas-Missouri state line and be ready for the start of the 2031 season, during an event Monday, Dec. 22, 2025 in Topeka, Kan. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)
Wyandotte County pushes back on state control of Chiefs new stadium, keeps approval powers
House Bill 2466, known as the Kansas Sports Facilities Authority Act, was approved by Kansas Gov. Laura Kelly on April 9, 2026.
“The Act repeatedly incorporates and subordinates governmental action to the December 22, 2025, agreement between the Chiefs and the State,” the lawsuit reads.
County officials noted that the Chiefs’ permanent voting position on the Authority is controlled by a private corporation, “with no conditions, no related gubernatorial appointment, legislative confirmation, or other public confirmation process,” something each of the other 10 seats requires.
The bill also conditions the city’s Authority board seat on its STAR-bond participation, which county officials noted as a problem.
Friday’s lawsuit comes a day after the Unified Government opted not to vote Thursday on proposed changes to its agreement supporting STAR bonds for the Chiefs’ proposed stadium. Instead, commissioners took the item off the agenda and voted 9-0 in favor of approving a joint charter ordinance and charter resolution opting the UG out of specified provisions of HB 2466.
Those provisions the UG wanted to opt out of were included in the lawsuit.
On Friday, Kansas City, Kansas, Mayor Christal Watson shared a statement with KCTV5, explaining the reasoning for the lawsuit being filed.
“Today, the Unified Government has pursued litigation against the State of Kansas to ensure a constitutional and equitable process for building the proposed stadium in Wyandotte County. If the State intends to embark on an economic development project of this magnitude, it must include the local citizens who work and live here. The current legislation does not give us a proper say in how this gets done and who will benefit. Until the situation is fair for all Wyandotte County residents, we will turn to the courts for a fair hearing and resolution of the matter.”
Kansas City, Kansas Mayor Christal Watson
The Kansas Department of Commerce told KCTV5 it does not comment on pending litigation but said the official boundaries of the Chiefs STAR Bond District “will be finalized soon.”
The Governor’s Office said it will also not have comment due to the pending litigation.
The stadium is proposed near 126th Street and State Avenue, with an estimated cost of $3 billion and an expected opening in 2031.
Residents’ reaction
Ken Yarnevich lives in KCK and has been a Chiefs season ticket holder for 40 years.
“We make a full day out of it, tailgate before and after the game. We go out there and have a good time,” said Yarnevich, who says his favorite thing is the atmosphere. “You pull up to the stadium, you see the smoke, smell the BBQ going, and that’s the party atmosphere of Arrowhead. Been like that for years.”
He was excited when he heard he could experience that a little closer to home, but he soon began to worry for himself and other taxpayers.
“How much out of our pocket we have to contribute towards this is a big concern of mine and how much it will really benefit us in Wyandotte County,” said Yarnevich. “The people are obviously behind the Chiefs all the way and want them to come here. However, I want them to also understand they have to do their end of the deal from a financial point of view and help the community out on that end of it. We don’t want to hurt the county any more than what it’s already hurting.”
He says he supports what the county commission is doing.
KCTV 5 spoke to Eva Garcia-Meza, with We The People of Wyandotte County before Thursday’s special meeting. She said she was confused with why the county would even consider giving up decision-making powers regarding the stadium. On Friday, she was appreciative of the commission’s ultimate decision.
“I was shocked to say the least,” said Garcia-Meza. “It was a moment where we saw the leadership of Wyandotte County come together in a unanimous vote to stand up for the residents that live here. I could not have been prouder of all of them. To me, last night’s unanimous vote and this morning’s lawsuit is really about a fundamental question that we should have all asked from the beginning. That question is who has the authority to govern Wyandotte County? Is it the state or is it the county?”
She says this doesn’t mean she doesn’t want the team to come to Wyandotte County, but rather, a statement of wanting the county to have a voice.
“The best part about the Chiefs coming to Kansas City is truly the economic impact that they could have for us. It could be a game changer to us,” said Garcia-Meza. “The flipside of that is that because they are a brand that has that kind of power behind it, I think sometimes the notion is if you want us here, you have to play by our rules. Sometimes those rules are not fair or equitable for the community they want to exist in. So as long as they are coming in good faith. I think they are welcome for sure.”