Unified Government sues Kansas over 'equitable process' concerns with Chiefs stadium

KANSAS CITY, Kan. — KSHB 41 reporter Rachel Henderson covers neighborhoods in Wyandotte and Leavenworth counties. Share your story idea with Rachel.

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The Unified Government of Wyandotte County and Kansas City, Kansas, filed a lawsuit Friday morning against the state of Kansas regarding the new Chiefs stadium.

The suit comes after the UG's Board of Commissioners voted 9-0 Thursday night to pass an ordinance that exempts the city from portions of the Sports Authority House Bill.

KSHB 41 News reporter Braden Bates was at the meeting. You can watch his coverage in the video player below.

Like the ordinance, the lawsuit takes issue with House Bill 2466 and the amount of local government control the city has.

LINK | Read the lawsuit

The filing's introduction reads, in part:

"This case is about who decides how a community governs itself. The Unified Government does not oppose economic development, and it does not oppose professional football in Kansas.

But House Bill 2466 does more than invite a stadium to Wyandotte County. For one project, in one community, it removes the local government's power to tax, to zone and plan, to set and collect local fees, and to provide utility service through the community's own publicly-owned utility."

Mayor Christal Watson shared a statement Friday regarding the litigation.

“Today, the Unified Government has pursued litigation against the State of Kansas to ensure a constitutional and equitable process for building the proposed stadium in Wyandotte County. If the State intends to embark on an economic development project of this magnitude, it must include the local citizens who work and live here. The current legislation does not give us a proper say in how this gets done and who will benefit. Until the situation is fair for all Wyandotte County residents, we will turn to the courts for a fair hearing and resolution of the matter.”

KSHB has reached out to state officials for a comment on the lawsuit and will update this story if one is provided.

This is a developing story and may be updated.

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