Here is a rendering of the new Royals stadium at Crown Center.
A proposed ordinance aimed at forcing a vote on publicly funded stadium projects in Kansas City is heading to the City Council.
Local election officials have verified the necessary number of signatures needed for a citizen-led initiative petition that aims to give Kansas City voters the final say on whether the city provides up to $600 million of public funding for a new Royals stadium.
The team is planning to build a $1.9 billion stadium in the Crown Center area, where the current Hallmark headquarters stands on Gillham Road.
Lanè Johnson, a spokesperson for the city, said on Monday that election officials verified 3,776 signatures that supported the petition, which is about 1,700 more than what was needed.
Johnson said the proposed ordinance will now head to the City Council to consider. City codes show that council members have 60 days to consider it before it can be sent to the public vote.
Missouri Workers Power, an affiliate of labor groups Missouri Workers Center and Stand Up KC, earlier this month turned in more than 4,500 signatures to support the proposed ordinance.
The progressive labor advocacy group argues that the project is a waste of taxpayer dollars that should go toward other city needs. The group has also argued that Kansas City voters don’t support the project, noting Jackson County voters rejected a sales tax in 2024 that would have helped pay for a new Royals stadium in the Crossroads.
A spokesperson for the group did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Monday.
However, it may be too late to affect the city’s plan to help fund a new Royals stadium. The earliest the ordinance can be put on the ballot is the Nov. 3 general election, which may come after the city has already signed off on a funding plan.
Mayor Quinton Lucas previously said the petition would not slow down the city’s negotiations with Royals officials and that construction could begin as early as this year. Lucas also said on a local radio talk show this month that the petition was too late.
“This train’s already left the station,” Lucas said. “I think we’ll get the necessary documents and deals signed, and a vote that comes after the fact, while incredibly interesting and perhaps detrimental to future projects in Kansas City, will not impact one where you’re already seeing movement.”
This story was originally published June 23, 2026 at 5:00 AM.
‘ The preceding article may include information circulated by third parties ’
‘ Some details of this article were extracted from the following source www.kansascity.com ’
