Frank White laments border war as Kansas and Missouri fight for Chiefs and Royals

KANSAS CITY, Missouri — Jackson County Executive Frank White issued a statement Tuesday afternoon lamenting a renewed border war as Kansas moved closer to passing a bill to lure the Kansas City Chiefs and Royals across the state line.

In the days and weeks after Jackson County voters rejected a plan to impose a 3/8-cent stadium sales tax on April 2, Kansas lawmakers saw an opportunity to launch their own effort to land the teams.

Current and former Kansas state legislators adopted the phrase “scoop and score” to describe their efforts to submit a proposal to the teams, which Jackson County did not do.

“The state of Kansas is considering using STAR bonds on an unprecedented scale to lure our teams across the state line, despite the historic 2019 agreement to end the economic border war between Missouri and Kansas,” White wrote Tuesday.

In August 2019, Kansas Governor Laura Kelly signed an executive order, two months after Missouri Governor Mike Parson signed a bill passed by the Missouri General Assembly ending the conflict.

Despite Governor Kelly’s executive order, Kansas lawmakers never officially passed a bill.

Photo courtesy of the Kansas Governor’s Office

However, at an event with reporters in April 2022, Kelly said the Chiefs were not included in the ceasefire.

“When I signed the ceasefire in the border war with Missouri, the chiefs were not included,” Kelly said at the event.

Governor Kelly: Ceasefire in border war did not include chiefs

While the details of the border war ceasefire are defined differently, White said Tuesday that his office “remains open to discussions with the royals, chiefs, legislators and other stakeholders.” But White reiterated that any proposal must be “a complete and transparent plan that provides tangible benefits to our taxpayers.”

“We need to focus on common sense rather than politics,” White said. “Our resources should be used wisely to improve the lives of our citizens, not wasted on bidding wars that only serve to drain public funds and divide our region. By working together, we can create a stronger, more resilient community that benefits all of our citizens.”

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