Frustration and calls for transparency are already surfacing as local officials react to a new proposal for a downtown ballpark for the Kansas City Royals.Jackson County Legislature Chair Manny Abarca said he was caught off guard by the city’s plan when he learned about it Thursday morning.“I refuse to be left in the dark here,” Abarca said. “And so I think it’s very important that, if taxpayers from Jackson County are going to be expected to fund any part of it, that we should be at least aware of what’s happening prior to hitting the news.”Kansas City Council member Johnathan Duncan also signaled the possibility of taking the issue directly to voters.“I’ve been in conversations with organizations who are used to collecting signatures,” Duncan said. “And as I said before, I think the threshold is around 2,200 signatures that we would need, for a petition to bring this to a vote of the people.”Abarca’s concerns center on whether Jackson County taxpayers could once again be asked to help fund a project, and whether county leaders will have a seat at the table this time around.Abarca was closely involved in a previous effort to keep the Royals in Jackson County.In 2024, county leaders proposed extending a sales tax to help fund a new ballpark in the Crossroads district. Voters ultimately rejected that plan at the ballot box.Why not put new Royals stadium up to a public vote? Here was Mayor Quinton Lucas’ answer:
Frustration and calls for transparency are already surfacing as local officials react to a new proposal for a downtown ballpark for the Kansas City Royals.
Jackson County Legislature Chair Manny Abarca said he was caught off guard by the city’s plan when he learned about it Thursday morning.
“I refuse to be left in the dark here,” Abarca said. “And so I think it’s very important that, if taxpayers from Jackson County are going to be expected to fund any part of it, that we should be at least aware of what’s happening prior to hitting the news.”
Kansas City Council member Johnathan Duncan also signaled the possibility of taking the issue directly to voters.
“I’ve been in conversations with organizations who are used to collecting signatures,” Duncan said. “And as I said before, I think the threshold is around 2,200 signatures that we would need, for a petition to bring this to a vote of the people.”
Abarca’s concerns center on whether Jackson County taxpayers could once again be asked to help fund a project, and whether county leaders will have a seat at the table this time around.
Abarca was closely involved in a previous effort to keep the Royals in Jackson County.
In 2024, county leaders proposed extending a sales tax to help fund a new ballpark in the Crossroads district.
Voters ultimately rejected that plan at the ballot box.
Why not put new Royals stadium up to a public vote? Here was Mayor Quinton Lucas’ answer:
‘ The preceding article may include information circulated by third parties ’
‘ Some details of this article were extracted from the following source www.kmbc.com ’
