By Jayson Henderson
Kansas City’s major sports franchises, the Chiefs and Royals, have reached a new lease agreement with the Jackson County Sports Complex Authority. Chiefs’ president Mark Donovan and Royals’ president Brooks Sherman formalized the agreement at Arrowhead Stadium. The annual rent for Arrowhead Stadium is set at $1.1 million, while Kauffman Stadium’s rent will be $2.75 million per year. The Royals’ lease, starting in 2028 for 40 years with renewal options, coincides with the construction of their new stadium. The Chiefs’ 25-year lease, beginning in 2025 with renewal options, includes obligations to play home games at Arrowhead Stadium and maintain it. The agreement credits the Jackson County Sports Authority Chairman Shawn Foster and the Legislature. However, County Executive Frank White emphasized the necessity for transparent processes regarding the lease agreements involving county-owned property.
County Executive Frank White released the following statement:
“Today, reports have emerged about documents signed by the Jackson County Sports Complex Authority and the Kansas City Royals and Chiefs. It is imperative to clarify to the residents of Jackson County that these documents do not constitute leases with Jackson County. The Sports Complex Authority operates independently and does not have the authority to commit or act on behalf of Jackson County in matters of leasing or similar legal agreements.
“Any lease or similar agreement involving county-owned property must undergo a rigorous and transparent process. This includes approval by the Jackson County Legislature, which is predicated on thorough public hearings, extensive debate and valuable community input. Our commitment to transparency and public participation in these processes is unwavering.
“Unfortunately, it has come to our attention that there has been misleading communication regarding the nature of these documents by the involved teams. The actual documents have not been made available for public scrutiny or journalistic review. This lack of transparency is concerning, as it hinders the ability of journalists to effectively inform the public and prevents our community from making informed decisions, especially as they pertain to matters of significant public interest and potential impact at the polls.
“County Executive Frank White, Jr. will provide further comments on this matter once the documents in question are released and fully reviewed. Our office is committed to ensuring that the public is accurately informed and that the processes involving public assets and interests are conducted with the highest degree of transparency and accountability.
“We urge the parties involved to release the documents to the public and to the media to ensure that the community is fully informed. Our residents deserve no less than a transparent, open process that allows for informed decision-making and robust public participation.
“Further updates will be provided as more information becomes available. The trust and confidence of the Jackson County community remain our utmost priority.”
Office of Jackson County Executive Frank White, Jr.
