Chiefs on the move to Kansas City

David Martin: This is the good government show.

Tyrone Garner: Send me any conflicting interests other than doing what’s best. As a as a united front for all those I love and call the Kansas City Metropolitan area home. There’s a lot of good things going on. Kansas City, Kansas. And so we would really be honored and, delighted to have the Kansas City Chiefs and the Kansas City Royals add to that sports success that, we’ve seen in Wyandotte County.

David Martin: Once in a while on The Good Government Show, we make news. Or at least we’re ahead of the news that happened this year in Kansas City, Kansas. Welcome to a special edition of the Good Government Show. As always, we appreciate the likes in the follows on all your favorite social media platforms where we are, and please share our show with your friends.

Well, back in May, I talked with Kansas City Mayor Tyrone Garner. We actually talked in Kansas City, Missouri at the Conference of Mayors. That’s where the conference was taking place that year. We started off the conversation talking about the differences and the similarities between the two cities. Then we talked sports. There was already some local discussion about the Chiefs moving from the Missouri side to the Kansas side.

And we talked about that. Turns out it was a look into the future. Then it happened. In December, the Kansas City Chiefs announced that they would be building a new stadium in Kansas City, Kansas, a blow to Missouri, a boon to Kansas. The plans call for the state of Kansas to issue bonds to pay for some 60% of the cost of a new dome stadium.

The actual site is not fixed yet, but it appears to be going into an area called the legends, which is already a shopping, dining and entertainment district. If you haven’t heard that show yet, coming up as a short segment from that longer conversation, we talked about sports and the Chiefs with Kansas City Mayor Tyron Garner. It’s just a small part of the conversation, but given the news very timely now take a few minutes and listen to what the mayor had to say then about what just happened.

Now.

Welcome to the Good Government Show. We have Tyrone Garner, who is the mayor of Kansas City, Kansas. Yes. And we are here at the Conference of Mayors in Kansas City, Missouri. Thanks for coming across the river.

Tyrone Garner: Thanks for having me.

David Martin: You’re welcome. Thanks for being here. Now we’re in Kansas. You’re the mayor of Kansas City, Kansas. What’s the difference between the two Kansas cities?

Tyrone Garner: You know, the Kansas City, Missouri is pretty much regional. We, pretty much feed off each other. It’s a shared success model. The success of Kansas City, Missouri, and the success of Kansas and Kansas and vice versa. So, we share a lot of interest. We share a lot of, shopping, entertainment, things of those nature.

So, we’re proud just as one United, Kansas City metro area. And we try which really try and maximize that.

David Martin: Is there a rivalry between the two cities?

Tyrone Garner: You know, not that I know of. If there is, you know, I would hope not. So we’ve we’ve got, there shouldn’t be any conflicting interests other than doing what’s best. As a as a united front for all those who love and call the Kansas City metropolitan area home.

David Martin: I did read something.

This morning when I was sort of preparing a little bit.

There is talk of the Royals and the Chiefs moving to Kansas City, Kansas, and some people are upset about that. Is that is that is that in the works? Is that, you know, where does that stand?

Tyrone Garner: I would hope they’re not upset at the at the great state of Kansas. Yes. There was a there was a huge debate on the Missouri side. Jackson County, Kansas City, Missouri. There’s a debate. They had community meetings, roundtables. There was a huge campaign, for a bond issue, for sales tax initiative, to keep the Kansas City Royals and the Kansas City Chiefs, on the Missouri side, of the state line.

And the voters rejected it. Oh, and so, the Missouri legislature, some of the leaders there said, you know what? We cannot afford to lose these, championship franchises. And they can’t seems from an area again, it goes back to them being a valuable in the Kansas City region. And so, legislation, took place since last Tuesday, star bond legislation that really, we hope will be a value, to at least, garner the interest, of one or both of these teams to see, Kansas City, Kansas, and Wyandotte County as a new location, as opposed to, leaving, either state.

And so, we’re excited about that opportunity. I’ve done what I can to roll out the red carpet and let them know that we’re open for business, and we’d like to have a real conversation about how best to keep them, in the Kansas City, metropolitan area. And we think, with the, what happened with the bond issue in Missouri, we think we have a good opportunity, to, at least have some interest from both teams in Kansas City, Kansas.

David Martin: And right now, but the Royals are doing very well. We’re talking in June in the middle of baseball season. They’re having a good season and of course, a Super Bowl championship.

Tyrone Garner: Right, right.

David Martin: Yes. How are your other sports teams doing?

Tyrone Garner: The sporting, you know, they’re competitive. Okay. NASCAR is always, an exciting sport, that we get 2 or 3 race races a year in Kansas City, Kansas. We have a minor league team called the Kansas City Monarchs. They ran. They won, their, national championship last year. I mean, there’s a lot of good things going on Kansas City, Kansas.

And so we would really be honored and, delighted to have the Kansas City Chiefs and the Kansas City Royals. Add to that sports success that, we’ve seen in Wyandotte County.

David Martin: And the monarchs.

Go back to harking back to a Negro League baseball team right.

Tyrone Garner: On the on the Kansas City, Missouri side. Yeah. You talking about the Negro League Museum? An 18th and mine in Kansas. Missouri. That’s a partnership. And so we’re glad to have the Kansas City Monarchs, in Kansas City, Kansas.

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There you go. News in the making here on The Good Government Show. And a good conversation with Kansas City Mayor Tyrone Garner. If you go back to May 8th when we released the show, you’ll hear more of that conversation. Go give it a listen. I should add that as of now, he’s ex-Mayor Tyrone Garner. He decided not to seek reelection and stepped away after four years.

That’s one term as mayor. He became mayor after retiring from the Kansas City Police Department. He put in 40 years of public service, a good career for anyone in public service. Well, you can still reach the Kansas City Chiefs. Just remember to drive across the state line of Kansas to catch the game. Well, that’s a short update on a show we did previously.

Go back and listen to that show or catch up on some of our other past shows. New shows come out on Tuesdays. Thanks for listening. I’m Dave Martin and this is a good government show.

The Good Government show is a Valley Park production. Jim Ludlow, Dave Martin, that’s me and David Snyder are the executive producers. Our show is edited and produced by Jason Stershic. Please subscribe, then share and like us and review us. That’s the best way to make sure we’re able to keep telling these stories of our government working for all of us.

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**This transcription was created using digital tools and has not been edited by a live person. We apologize for any discrepancies or errors.