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Royals & Jackson County Argue Over Stadium Spending

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Jackson County officials and the Kansas City Royals on Wednesday escalated their long-running battle over taxpayer support for Kauffman Stadium and the Truman Sports Complex. Amid criticism of how the team uses tax dollars, County Executive Mike Sanders and Royals owner David Glass talked stadium spending in a rare phone call between the two. The private talk yielded no resolution. At the center of the conflict sits growing dissatisfaction in county government with stadium lease terms agreed to six years ago by the Royals and Chiefs, and the teams’ insistence that the county stick to the deal. The teams have long insisted their spending for some personnel costs, including taxes, are fully allowed by 25-year leases signed in 2006. Critics, including some in county government, argue such spending is unreasonable.