Funkhouser Wants To End City Funding For Chiefs, Royals Stadiums

[dirk digler]

More Proof how big of an idiot he is

http://www.arrowheadpride.com/2010/2...city#storyjump

Kansas City mayor Mark Funkhouser, once the subject of an interview in this space, has said he wants to halt city funding for the Truman Sports Complex -- better known as the home for the Kansas City Chiefs and Kansas City Royals.

In the past, the city has provided up to $2 million for the stadiums.
"We have no choice but to now eliminate what is a non-contractual agreement to directly fund the Truman Sports Complex stadiums," Funkhouser said.

Michael Mahoney of KMBC 9 reports, "Funkhouser said the county needs to figure out a long-term solution because 'Kansas City's general fund is not the place to find that money in these tough economic times.'"

Funkhouser cited the more than 200 folks that have been laid off around the city as evidence of the economic times hitting Kansas City.

A few notes on this and why this is not a good idea from the Funkhouser camp:


First, not paying that money could result in essentially breaking the lease with the Chiefs, according to a March statement from County Executive Mike Sanders.

"The teams would then be, to use the sports phrase, free agents to do whatever they wanted to do. Re-negotiate the deal or to not honor any of the provisions of the lease they did not want to honor," Sanders said at the time.

Second, this could essentially let Johnson County off the hook for paying anything at the stadium.

Third, he doesn't appear to have much support on this. Mike Smith of the Jackson County Sports Authority also commented back in March on how Funkhouser's plan to eliminate the money would, in the long run, cost the city money.

"These stadiums are an economic engine not only for Jackson County, but for Kansas City as well, creating thousands of jobs and generating millions in direct and in-direct state and local taxes," Smith said in a news release. "To curtail the funding by the city, which is used to pay the bonds approved by the voters in 2006, would be to ignore the commitment made by the mayor and council at the time. The county pays the lion's share of the bonds. The city pays a very small part and receives the lion's share of the benefit by having its name on the teams. Note that the teams are not called the Jackson County Royals or the Jackson County Chiefs."

Bottomline? Ending the city funding could result in a violation of the lease with the Chiefs and Royals -- and this is according to many accounts, including that of County Executive Mike Sanders -- which would leave open the possibility of either team freely ending their agreement with the city.

[Adept Havelock]

Mayor Lurch's latest idiocy proves he's penny-wise and pound-foolish.

[LaChapelle]

I wonder what the Chiefs and Royals annual payroll is
St Joe must be doing cartwheels with $$ they spent

[BigRedChief]

Originally Posted by Demonpenz

that money could go toward schools

Or to pay the lawyer fees and lawsuits from the Mayors wife "volunteering" in city hall. Millions have been spent by the city of KC because of his wife.

The KC public voted and wanted the money to go to the stadiums. This is just another case of a politician taking money that doesn't belong to his discretion and taking it from what the people were told it was to be used for.

[BigRedChief]

Originally Posted by wild1

No, sports teams shouldn't get city funds.

However, there's always another city that would be more than happy to build a new stadium and give them a subsidy to bring the NFL into town.

It's a continuing cost to keep the team. You're always competing against the alternatives.

The city gets way more money in tax revenue than they pay in subsidy, anyway.

Although I agree its corporate welfare.The citizens voted to give these corporations the welfare. The people just spoke recently they wanted their tax $'s to go to the stadiums.

[BigRedChief]

Originally Posted by Halfcan

why should tax payers have to pay anything?? Those team should be viable on their own. Lords knows neither team spends much of nothing on labor.

Again, I agree but, thats not reality. Other cities will be lined up to pay the $2 million. I hear that the Chiefs alone at Arrowhead bring in $4.9 million in tax revenue. Not to mention the jobs, the "stuff they buy, construction jobs etc.

The people were aware of this when they coted to tax themselfs and give the money to the stadium and the teams.

[stanleychief]

Politically I have no interest in this, but if the city were to lose our two sports team because of this I'd be majorly pissed off. Whether or not cities should pay for this is irrelevant if it is in a contract.