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Kansas lawmakers had the chance to ask questions about the tax implications of the Kansas City Chiefs' proposed move to Kansas, with several legislators expressing constituent concerns during a Wednesday committee meeting.
The Kansas House Commerce, Labor and Economic Development Committee reviewed the Chiefs' term sheet.
The lawmakers asked about the financial impact on taxpayers in what officials called the largest economic development deal in Kansas history.
Committee Chairman Sean Tarwater said he wanted to share "real facts" about the $4 billion construction project that's expected to create 20,000 construction jobs between 2027 and 2031.
Korb Maxwell, an attorney representing the Chiefs, called it a "historic win for the state" and said officials "pulled it off without raising taxes and without using any base revenues from general fund."
"Great day to be a Kansan and Kansas taxpayer," Maxwell said, adding the project should generate $1 billion in economic activity annually for the state.
David Dipman, an Olathe resident who lives close to where the new training facility may be built, supports the move, but has concerns about the costs.
"I like the idea of Kansas City coming to our side of the state line,” Dipman said. “I think it'll be good for Olathe and good for the people of Kansas. I think my real question is, in everything I've read about it, I'm just a little bit concerned about the tax rate. What's going to happen to the taxes?"
Dipman expressed surprise at the Chiefs' decision to leave Arrowhead Stadium.
"I was a little bit shocked,” Dipman said. “I really felt like they would stay at Arrowhead Stadium and maybe build something, but that's not going to happen. I hate to see it go, but they need something different."
He also worried about the broader impact on the community.
"It's going to bring more people into our community, probably more homes,” Dipman said. “They're going to need more money.”
Rachel Willis from the Kansas Department of Commerce said negotiations with the Chiefs picked up speed in August 2025, with Kansas wanting to stay under the 70% maximum threshold for STAR bonds while securing private investment from the team for a mixed-use development that's open every day.
Representative Lynn Melton, who represents part of Wyandotte County, raised questions about infrastructure, public safety, and the sports authority's role.
She recalled similar promises made when Kansas Speedway was built with STAR bonds.
"I have had very few constituents tell me they are in support of this," Melton said. "Most of them are opposed to it because of the expense and the burden that it brings to the county, which we truly can't afford anymore burden."
Melton lived in the Legends area when the speedway was being built.
"I went to the community meetings, and we were told that once the bonds were paid off, there's going to be no school bonds being floated, our taxes will go down because there will be all this revenue," she said. "And now we've seen the STAR bonds paid off early, that's all fine and dandy, but we've not seen any of that."
Maxwell responded that the Unified Government's budget has grown enormously because of past STAR bond projects, suggesting that the revenue has been reinvested rather than reducing taxes.
Despite her concerns, Melton said she wants to support the project if questions can be answered.
"I want to support it, and like I told them, 'Help me help you,"' she said. "I hope we don't say no. I hope we're at the table and we're able to work it out so that it benefits them and us."
She praised Wyandotte County Mayor Christal Watson's handling of negotiations.
"I think Mayor Watson's doing a tremendous job getting the information out there, and I think she's at the table asking the right questions," Melton said.
Rep. Stephanie Clayton of Overland Park asked about union construction jobs and livable wages for stadium workers.
Maxwell was non-committal on union jobs, but said the team has historically provided livable wages and plans to do so again.
"Very beginning of the process, but have done that historically, and plan to do that again," Maxwell said regarding livable wages.
Clayton also asked about Community Improvement District boundaries and STAR bond boundaries.
Maxwell said the CID concept would only include new development property, while the Secretary of Commerce will set STAR bond boundaries in the coming weeks.
Representative Kristey Williams asked about projected sales tax revenues.
Maxwell said early projections show roughly $11 billion in economic activity, with about $10 billion eligible for STAR bonds after exclusions.
The project is expected to create 4,000 permanent jobs.
Representative Rui Xiu from Fairway asked about inflation versus incremental growth, creating a tax burden.
Maxwell said the project will spur more growth to "grow the pie further," including income tax revenue, and could pay off bonds in 15 years.
Senator Jeff Klemp raised concerns about traffic congestion if the stadium were to move farther west.
Maxwell said that current roads make the region attractive, and officials are working with the Kansas Department of Transportation to ensure infrastructure "as well, if not even better, than what we've seen at Arrowhead."
The project includes a Community Improvement Fund, with 50% of funds going to areas outside the Kansas City metro, benefiting western Kansas communities.
Tarwater said economic studies suggest the STAR bond district could be paid off in 12 to 15 years, much faster than the typical 30-year timeline.
"There are a lot of people out there that are speculating a 30-year mortgage payment, and that gets pretty expensive," Tarwater said. "But the way STAR bonds work is that all the revenue goes to the payment. It's not a fixed payment."
He pointed to the Panasonic plant in De Soto as an example, saying it has generated enough revenue to allow the city to cut property taxes by 40% over the last two years.
Maxwell said the Chiefs will invest $1 billion in development around the practice facility and stadium, with Hunt Midwest serving as the real estate developer.
"Our phone has been ringing off the hook," Maxwell said about business interest in the area.
Maxwell also noted that cost overruns and maintenance are financial risks that fall to the Chiefs, not taxpayers.
The project is expected to increase traffic in the area, particularly around the Legends shopping district.
Cueler Johnson III, a Kansas City, Kansas, resident who works at the Under Armour store in the Legends, acknowledged potential challenges but remained optimistic.
"Really excited,” Johnson said. “Nervous to see how it's going to make the Legends look. I work over here at Under Armor, so I figure it's going to be kind of rough on game days and stuff like that, but other than that, I'm pretty pumped."
Chiefs fan Steve Lewis, who was born and raised in the Kansas City area and now lives in San Antonio, expressed mixed feelings about the potential relocation.
"I had been hearing rumors about it for a while, so I wasn't too surprised about it," Lewis said. "I'll miss that, but I get the business side of it. As long as they stay close, I'll be happy to support 'em."
Lewis acknowledged the ongoing debate over public funding for stadiums.
"If the team needs a new stadium, they need it. It's always been a debate of how much the public is going to pay for it," he said.
Representative Mike King asked about additional events the domed stadium could host.
Maxwell said it would host "substantially more than Arrowhead" because of the dome structure, including events like Monster Jam.
When asked about the Chiefs potentially leaving after 30 years, Maxwell said the team won't walk away from more than $1 billion in private investment and has negotiated multiple lease extensions past the initial 30-year term with Kansas.
The team wants lawmakers to include legislation authorizing a sports authority and extending STAR bond laws.
Maxwell said a sports authority is needed to avoid federal income taxes, calling it a "standard arrangement."
Representative Lauren Bohi from Olathe asked about school district partnerships.
Maxwell called it a "transformative partnership" with more information to be released in the coming months.
Rep. Tarwater confirmed that the deal is signed and moving forward, with the lieutenant governor authorized to sign on behalf of Kansas.
He said the project can move forward without local participation, though it would take longer to pay off the bonds.
"We're being as transparent as we possibly can, which is causing some confusion,” Tarwater said. “But we will continue to have meetings like this.”
Regarding Missouri's last-minute efforts to keep the Chiefs, Tarwater said officials "scrambled the Friday before the announcement," but were too late.
"They had a year to work on it,” he said. “You would have thought that they would have come to the table a lot earlier.”
Melton emphasized that legislators will continue pressing for answers as the proposal moves forward.
"We'll have to ask the questions and stand until they give us an answer, really," Melton said.
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