Latest news with #Jackson County
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
Jackson County to decide on county assessor with November vote
KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Jackson County voters will get the chance to vote for their county assessor in November. An ordinance passed by the legislature, then vetoed by the county executive, was overruled by the legislature on Friday. The ballot this November will ask voters if the assessor should be an elected position. Protestors stand against CoreCivic ICE facility in Leavenworth 'We want the citizens to have a voice, both not only an elected assessor, but in this recall election,' said Jackson County Legislator DaRon McGee. 'We are now giving residents a long, hard choice that they have so desperately asked for to elect an assessor in this county.' If approved by voters, the first vote for county assessor would be held in November of 2028. 'It means accountability,' McGee said. 'So right now, for most people, the assessment department is a deep closet that nobody knows where anything is, right? It allows people to have an option to have some accountability when your taxes are being raised, when there is an inadequate BOE process, when facts are not being really known.' Man with Alzheimer's missing from Raytown home: MSHP Currently, Jackson County is the only county in Missouri that does not vote for their county assessor. 'I think it's only fair when you have your most expensive asset, which is your home, your car and your property tax is being raised without any accountability,' McGee said on Friday. The vote passed on Friday with a vote of 7-2. Legislators Megan Smith and Jeanie Lauer voted against the ordinance. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Solve the daily Crossword
Yahoo
15-07-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Jackson County Executive Frank White pitches Gov. Kehoe adjusted approach to sales tax extension
KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Jackson County Executive Frank White Jr. wrote a letter to Missouri Governor Mike Kehoe last week, proposing that the county renew its 3/8-cent sales tax. The sales tax was originally approved by voters in 2006 to fund improvements to Arrowhead and Kauffman stadiums. If renewed, the sales tax would focus on the following three priorities: Modernizing and improving Arrowhead Stadium Restoring and upgrading public safety infrastructure Investing in public health Kansas City man arrested, charged after high-speed boat chase at Lake of the Ozarks 'With the passage of Senate Bill 3, Missouri now has a powerful tool to play a significant role in attracting and retaining professional sports teams—most notably the Kansas City Chiefs and Royals,' White wrote in the letter. Not only would the sales tax go toward modernizing and improving Arrowhead Stadium, White said it would also help the county invest in public health, as well as restore and upgrade the county's public safety infrastructure. Funds from the sales tax would also go toward modernizing the county's juvenile detention facility, according to White. 'The impact of these improvements will be felt well beyond county lines,' White wrote. In the letter, White also addressed the controversy surrounding the Royals' potential relocation: 'I also want to be clear about the Royals: I fully support keeping them in Jackson County. Since the April 2024 vote, the City of Kansas City has taken the lead on identifying a new site and working with the team, and I've respected their desire to do so. At the same time, I've made it clear to the Royals that Jackson County is ready to support the city's efforts and is willing to step back in should the team present a proposal for us to consider or express interest in reengaging. To date, the Royals have not done so.' Kauffman Stadium, which currently benefits from the 3/8-cent sales tax, would not be included as a beneficiary of the renewed sales tax, according to White's letter. White released the following statement Monday afternoon: 'First, it's important to remember that these teams are for-profit, multi-billion dollar businesses. They're always going to look for the best deal for themselves and I can't blame them for that. But my job isn't to work for the teams; my job is to get the best deal for the people of Jackson County. 'Out of respect for the City of Kansas City's publicly stated desire to take the lead in conversations with the Royals, much of our engagement has focused on the Chiefs. At the same time, we remain open to discussions with all parties to ensure Jackson County's interests are fully represented. 'Last and most importantly, Jackson County taxpayers have long carried the overwhelming share of public funding for these teams, historically providing more than 90% of the investment, which currently amounts to over $50 million every year. As we look ahead, our priority is to ensure any new agreement is fair, transparent and reflects the significant commitment our residents continue to make.' The Jackson County executive said he believes this proposal could generate between $500 million and $700 million. He said it offers a clear path to retain the Chiefs, protect taxpayers and deliver long-term public benefit. White also proposed that the sales tax be presented to voters as one ballot question instead of three. He said this would clarify that the renewed tax may be used for more than one related purpose. White also asked the governor to confirm with the director of the Department of Economic Development and the commissioner of the Office of Administration that the sales tax meets the requirements stipulated in Senate Bill 3. The 3/8-cent sales tax is currently set to expire in 2031, which is when the Chiefs' and Royals' leases end. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
15-07-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Frank White prepared to back Chiefs stadium tax — but under these conditions
Frank White sent Missouri Gov. Mike Kehoe a letter signaling his preparedness to support a sales tax earmarked for a renovated Arrowhead Stadium. But it comes with significant caveats. White, the Jackson County executive, wrote to Kehoe last week that he would back a 3/8th-cent sales tax extension in the county — but with only one-third of it reserved for an Arrowhead Stadium makeover. In a letter obtained by The Star through an open records request, White lays out a plan to reserve one-third of the tax to upgrade the downtown Jackson County courthouse and the juvenile rehabilitation facility; one-third for capital improvements at University Health, county-owned hospitals in Kansas City; and one-third for upgrades and maintenance for Arrowhead stadium. 'This approach represents exactly the kind of balanced, responsible investment the moment calls for,' White wrote in the letter. A Kehoe spokesperson did not indicate whether the Republican governor supported White's plan in an email to The Star, but she emphasized that local support was necessary for the teams. 'Governor Kehoe appreciates the willingness of Jackson County Executive Frank White to explore options for local investment to keep the Chiefs and Royals in Missouri,' said spokesperson Gabby Picard, who also pointed to issues with Jackson County tax assessments, adding Kehoe 'also believes Jackson County residents deserve certainty for fair and reasonable property tax assessments, which is a critical piece to any Jackson County solution.' The Chiefs declined comment on the letter. But a three-way split is likely a non-starter in any negotiations with the Chiefs, who possess something today they didn't two years ago when their talks with White commenced: Options. The Chiefs are not only pursuing a renovated stadium at the Truman Sports Complex, but they continue to explore the possibility of building a new stadium across the state line. Both Missouri and Kansas have passed competing stadium-incentives packages, and the Chiefs recently successfully persuaded Kansas to extend the deadline for its funding package. The Missouri bill passed last month not only encourages but requires a local source of funding — which is the significance of the letter. While it's long been known the stadium tax measures White does not support, his writing to Kehoe offers the first behind-the-curtain peek of the brand of ballot measure he would promote. 'Governor, I'm aware that some have tried to suggest that I'm opposed to any level of public funding for these teams. That's just not true,' White wrote. 'What I am opposed to is continuing the status quo for another generation.' White's office confirmed the letter but declined further comment. White is facing a recall election, possibly as soon as next month. The Royals are not a party to his proposal to Kehoe. Kansas City Mayor Quinton Lucas and his office has been a more active party in the talks with the Royals on proposed sites in Jackson County, most recently Washington Square Park, which is located north of Crown Center and east of Union Station. White says the county is 'ready to support the city's efforts and is willing to step back in should the team present a proposal for us to consider or express interest in reengaging. To date, the Royals have not done so.' If the Royals elects to pursue their original vision of downtown baseball — over options in Kansas or Clay County — that stadium is unlikely to be county-owned. At least one top Missouri lawmaker has suggested that the Royals moving to Clay County would take off 'half the pressure on Jackson County.' Chiefs team president Mark Donovan has consistently said that if the NFL team stays at Arrowhead Stadium, its local funding source would come through the county — which owns the stadiums at the Truman Sports Complex, where the teams are tied through a lease that expires in 2031. For two years, though, White and the Chiefs (and Royals, for that matter) have failed to reach an agreement on what taxpayer support beyond 2031 would entail. White vetoed a combined Chiefs and Royals measure to put a sales tax extension on the ballot before the county legislature overrode him and put the item in front of voters. They rejected it, 58-42%. The Chiefs are unlikely to return to the voters with anything other than a tax reserved for one thing and one thing only. They are adamant about dislodging any confusion from a future ballot question. A three-way chop would also, quite obviously, secure the team less money. For White, that's the idea. For the Chiefs, that would almost certainly be a sticking point, even after they have secured a path toward a significant contribution from the state. The Chiefs and Royals have long split the 3/8th-cent sales tax evenly, but they have separated their stadium plans moving forward — and any future ask of the voters would therefore be separate, too. That's purposeful in the aftermath of last year's rejection at the ballot box. In response to a question from The Star, Donovan said last week the Chiefs would likely target an April 2026 vote if they stay in the county. They estimate a renovated Arrowhead Stadium would cost north of $1 billion. But it's not yet clear what kind of tax they will seek absent sharing it with the Royals. White's request is that other county parties get a cut — 'generational investments in public health and public safety,' he called the proposed tax support for the courthouse, juvenile facility and hospitals. White and the Chiefs reengaged in talks after last year's vote failed, but they have not discussed the matter recently. Instead, Donovan said last week he talked to the county legislature, a signal of the team's potential plans to once again try to gather enough support from the nine-member committee to put the item on the ballot, rather than an avenue through White. In his letter to Kehoe, White sought an amendment to the Missouri sales tax statue to allow for the three-way split for the 3/8th-cent sales tax extension. The state's General Assembly would have to pass that amendment before a vote. The Star's Kacen Bayless contributed to this report.
Yahoo
11-07-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Jackson County Executive Frank White vetoes special vote for charter assessor
KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Jackson County Executive Frank White Jr. has vetoed an ordinance that called for a special election for a county charter assessor. In a letter to Jackson County legislators, White called the special election 'unnecessary and premature' as there are already scheduled elections for which the ballot could be placed on well before its effects would be implemented. Reps. Cleaver, Davids announce federal funding for World Cup security The election would have taken place in November of 2025, with its decision not being implemented until 2028. Instead, White says that the election could be placed on a regular ballot, which would save millions for Jackson County taxpayers. 'This would be the fourth unbudgeted election proposed by this Legislature in less than two years,' he said. 'Not one has passed. Not one has been fiscally responsible. And this one is no different. I support giving voters a say, but we can and should do it in 2026, when it won't cost Jackson County taxpayers a single extra dollar.' That's not the only problem, according to White, either. He says that, aside from the cost of the special election, the proposed ballot also misrepresents the responsibilities of the Charter Assessor. 'Abolished': State Department is laying off over 1,300 employees under Trump administration plan 'The ordinance says the elected assessor would be responsible for taxation in the county. That's just wrong,' White said in his release. 'Under Missouri law, taxation is the job of the collector. The assessor is responsible for valuing property accurately and fairly. If we can't get that distinction right in our founding document, we shouldn't be rushing this to the voters.' However, White did include that he would be in favor of a revised ballot, just not one outside of an August 2026 or November 2026 election. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
