KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Clay County Commissioner Jason Withington said Wednesday that he still loves baseball, but is "done" negotiating with the Royals on a new stadium for the team in the county.
According to Withington, Thursday, Jan. 8, was the deadline for the Royals to appear on the April 2026 ballot in the county.
Withington said the Royals told the county that they were not ready to meet that deadline.
Withington took to Facebook to explain that "the joy has been drained" out of him over the last few years and expressed his dislike towards the business of baseball.
He called negotiations with the team "a closed chapter" and said that the county is shifting its focus elsewhere.
"It’s time for the Commission to focus fully on priorities we control—either upgrading our existing county jail or building a new one," Withington wrote.
The Royals' lease at Kauffman Stadium in the Truman Sports Complex in Jackson County expires in January 2031.
KSHB 41's political reporter Charlie Keegan reported in May 2025 on efforts by Missouri to keep both the Royals and Chiefs in Missouri.
While the Chiefs announced that they will move to a new stadium site in 2031 in Wyandotte County, the Royals have not announced their next steps to get a new ballpark built.
A stadium site near 119th Street and Nall Avenue in Overland Park has emerged as a possibility for a stadium site for the ball club.
Some residents in that area are not happy about that possibility.
KSHB 41 reached out to the Royals on where things stand with the team and a new stadium.
The Royals did not offer public comment on the Facebook post, but stated in an email "conversations remain ongoing toward the best solution for the team, fans and community."
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