Jackson County executive Phil Levota and the chairman of the Jackson County Sports Complex Authority on Tuesday rebuffed a proposal to withhold any money from the Kansas City Chiefs after the team announced a move to Kansas.Levota and JCSCA board chairman Shawn Foster responded to Jackson County legislator Manny Abarca’s December 31st letter challenging county and state leaders to redirect tax money away from the team.“We’re not going through any legal battle up here,” Levota told KMBC at a Tuesday meeting of the Jackson County Sports Complex Authority.Abarca, now chairman of the Jackson County Legislature, called for withholding millions of dollars from the team’s reimbursement requests for maintenance and repairs to GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium and the surrounding land at the Truman Sports Complex under terms of its lease arrangement with Jackson County.Levota and Foster reiterated that the county has a contractual obligation to the teams while they are still here. The Chiefs and Royals’ lease with Jackson County expires in 2031.The five-person JCSCA board oversees the county’s leases with the Kansas City Chiefs and Kansas City Royals, along with management, maintenance, and repairs at the Truman Sports Complex. “We are not in the business of not living by the leases that we have with the teams and with our responsibilities for the stadiums,” Levota said. ABARCA’S LETTER CALLS FOR WITHHOLDING TAX MONEY FROM CHIEFSAbarca’s December 31 letter called for maintenance and reimbursement requests from the Chiefs to be redirected into a redevelopment fund for the future of the Truman Sports Complex.“Now that the Chiefs have abandoned that 60 years plus investment,” Abarca said in the letter, “I believe it is OUR best interest that we prioritize US and not the profit of those who abandon Jackson Countians.”Abarca estimated around $27.5 million in annual reimbursements to the Chiefs for its Repair Maintenance Management and Operations (R.M.M.O.) fund under its current lease with Jackson County.In an interview with KMBC on Tuesday, Abarca reiterated his calls for diverting the money to focus on the future of the Truman Sports Complex.“We don’t have to reimburse this team money if they’re not committed to us,” Abarca said, “I think that sentiment is still rung true with a lot of folks.”Abarca said he would stop short of blocking all reimbursement requests from the Chiefs, saying it would be up to the Jackson County Sports Complex Authority to make those decisions.“I think they should take those things in a reasonable consideration and figure out how the operations are going to be continued here over the next five years,” he said.Abarca also said it will cost millions to demolish and renovate the Truman Sports Complex if it comes to it.“We’ve got to tear it down. We’ve got to grind it up. We’ve got to dig out what’s underneath both of these stadiums and this parking lot we’re standing on,” he said.JACKSON COUNTY SPORTS COMPLEX AUTHORITY’S NEXT STEPSShawn Foster, chairman of the Jackson County Sports Complex Authority board, read a press release at Tuesday’s meeting saying the agreements with the Chiefs and Royals require the JCSCA to allocate and reimburse funds “in accordance with the specified terms, without unilateral withholding of funds.”“We will continue to adhere strictly to these contractual obligations while exploring all the appropriate avenues to address the county’s broader plans, needs, and partnerships with our relevant stakeholders,” Foster said.The sports authority’s work becomes even more important as local political and government leaders discuss the future of the 220-acre site after the Chiefs announced a departure to Kansas and the Royals are looking for another home.Levota said he is organizing a sports complex redevelopment task force to get input from business and community leaders about the future of the site.Both Levota and Abarca left open the possibility that the team’s deal in Kansas could fall through. “I think I speak for the Sports Authority, too,” Levota said. “They are our tenants, and if something went wrong with that thing, I think we’d welcome them back here and do everything we could to keep them there. So, I don’t think that deal’s all the way done.”Abarca said the Jackson County Sports Complex Authority has important next steps.“They’re going to have to figure out what’s next, what’s their next move to try and lure the Chiefs back and maintain the Royals here in Jackson County?” he said.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. —

Jackson County executive Phil Levota and the chairman of the Jackson County Sports Complex Authority on Tuesday rebuffed a proposal to withhold any money from the Kansas City Chiefs after the team announced a move to Kansas.

Levota and JCSCA board chairman Shawn Foster responded to Jackson County legislator Manny Abarca’s December 31st letter challenging county and state leaders to redirect tax money away from the team.

“We’re not going through any legal battle up here,” Levota told KMBC at a Tuesday meeting of the Jackson County Sports Complex Authority.

Abarca, now chairman of the Jackson County Legislature, called for withholding millions of dollars from the team’s reimbursement requests for maintenance and repairs to GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium and the surrounding land at the Truman Sports Complex under terms of its lease arrangement with Jackson County.

Levota and Foster reiterated that the county has a contractual obligation to the teams while they are still here. The Chiefs and Royals’ lease with Jackson County expires in 2031.

The five-person JCSCA board oversees the county’s leases with the Kansas City Chiefs and Kansas City Royals, along with management, maintenance, and repairs at the Truman Sports Complex.

“We are not in the business of not living by the leases that we have with the teams and with our responsibilities for the stadiums,” Levota said.

ABARCA’S LETTER CALLS FOR WITHHOLDING TAX MONEY FROM CHIEFS

Abarca’s December 31 letter called for maintenance and reimbursement requests from the Chiefs to be redirected into a redevelopment fund for the future of the Truman Sports Complex.

“Now that the Chiefs have abandoned that 60 years plus investment,” Abarca said in the letter, “I believe it is OUR best interest that we prioritize US and not the profit of those who abandon Jackson Countians.”

Abarca estimated around $27.5 million in annual reimbursements to the Chiefs for its Repair Maintenance Management and Operations (R.M.M.O.) fund under its current lease with Jackson County.

In an interview with KMBC on Tuesday, Abarca reiterated his calls for diverting the money to focus on the future of the Truman Sports Complex.

“We don’t have to reimburse this team money if they’re not committed to us,” Abarca said, “I think that sentiment is still rung true with a lot of folks.”

Abarca said he would stop short of blocking all reimbursement requests from the Chiefs, saying it would be up to the Jackson County Sports Complex Authority to make those decisions.

“I think they should take those things in a reasonable consideration and figure out how the operations are going to be continued here over the next five years,” he said.

Abarca also said it will cost millions to demolish and renovate the Truman Sports Complex if it comes to it.

“We’ve got to tear it down. We’ve got to grind it up. We’ve got to dig out what’s underneath both of these stadiums and this parking lot we’re standing on,” he said.

JACKSON COUNTY SPORTS COMPLEX AUTHORITY’S NEXT STEPS

Shawn Foster, chairman of the Jackson County Sports Complex Authority board, read a press release at Tuesday’s meeting saying the agreements with the Chiefs and Royals require the JCSCA to allocate and reimburse funds “in accordance with the specified terms, without unilateral withholding of funds.”

“We will continue to adhere strictly to these contractual obligations while exploring all the appropriate avenues to address the county’s broader plans, needs, and partnerships with our relevant stakeholders,” Foster said.

The sports authority’s work becomes even more important as local political and government leaders discuss the future of the 220-acre site after the Chiefs announced a departure to Kansas and the Royals are looking for another home.

Levota said he is organizing a sports complex redevelopment task force to get input from business and community leaders about the future of the site.

Both Levota and Abarca left open the possibility that the team’s deal in Kansas could fall through.

“I think I speak for the Sports Authority, too,” Levota said. “They are our tenants, and if something went wrong with that thing, I think we’d welcome them back here and do everything we could to keep them there. So, I don’t think that deal’s all the way done.”

Abarca said the Jackson County Sports Complex Authority has important next steps.

“They’re going to have to figure out what’s next, what’s their next move to try and lure the Chiefs back and maintain the Royals here in Jackson County?” he said.