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JEFFERSON CITY — A disaster relief program proposed by Gov. Mike Kehoe doesn’t go far enough amid new city estimates that put the damage in ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½ at over 16,000 parcels of property, lawmakers said Tuesday.

As part of a package of legislation designed to help the city’s May 16 tornado recovery efforts and keep Kansas City’s professional sports teams from moving across the border into Kansas, a bipartisan group of senators said a $25 million earmark to assist victims of the EF3 tornado may be just a starting point.

Sen. Brian Williams, D-University City, called the amount proposed by the Republican governor “offensive� and “insulting� at a time when city officials are estimating the city and its residents suffered at least $1.6 billion in damages.

“It’s completely unacceptable in my opinion,� said Williams, whose district was heavily damaged by the storm. “I’m having a severe challenge with even entertaining this.�

“I do think $25 million is honestly just a drop in the bucket,� said Sen. Jason Bean, R-Holcomb. “It’s just a good start.�

The comments came during a Senate hearing as part of a special summer session called by Kehoe to compete against an offer from Kansas to provide more than a billion dollars in subsidies for the Chiefs football team and Royals baseball team.

The concerns voiced Tuesday could provide an opening for an upward adjustment in what lawmakers are considering for disaster relief.

The scope of the damage caused by the tornado has been a moving target as more information has been collected. Immediately after the tornado, ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½ Mayor Cara Spencer estimated about 5,000 structures had been damaged. Subsequent estimates were more conservative.

On Tuesday, Casey Millburg, the mayor’s policy director, met with Kehoe’s staff and later told the Senate Appropriations Committee that surveys by city staff and federal officials had identified more than 16,000 damaged structures, and at least 4,000 damaged buildings have been assessed so far for livability.

A city spokesman later clarified that the number referred to parcels of property, which may or may not have dwellings or businesses on them.

Those surveys include aerial views of the path of the tornado, Millburg said. The fast-moving tornado grew to be a mile wide as it ripped across northern parts of ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½ at 55 mph, producing wind speeds as high as 152 mph.

Of the 16,000 parcels, Millburg said about 88% are privately owned.

“Every day, we are making progress, but the need is tremendous,� Millburg said.

In addition to state money, the city is planning to tap into its share of Rams settlement money for $30 million in emergency aid.

“We have been scouring our coffers for every penny,� Millburg said.

‘Massive’ reconstruction needed

Jake Hummel, president of the Missouri AFL-CIO, said the scale of devastation is sweeping, and the nature of ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½â€™ heavily brick housing stock makes rebuilding a unique proposition.

“Almost every one of those homes is made of brick and masonry,� Hummel told the panel. “There are not enough bricklayers in the state of Missouri ... to even begin rebuilding those houses.�

“There will have to be massive amounts of new building construction to replace those homes,� Hummel said. “There’s already a shortage of construction workers nationwide. I can tell you $25 million is not enough.�

Williams, who said he has been volunteering to help people affected by the storms, said the state may need to step up because there are no guarantees that federal disaster relief money will flow as part of a Trump administration clampdown.

“I am not optimistic that (the Federal Emergency Management Agency) is going to step in and do anything,� Williams said.

Sen. Maggie Nurrenbern, D-Kansas City, said lawmakers also could dip into the state’s current surplus of more than $4 billion.

“If there is ever a time to dig into that fund, it is now,� Nurrenbern said. “I’m hoping we can do a little bit more than what we’re looking at now.�

Kehoe’s budget chief, Dan Haug, pushed back on that, saying the surplus could drop to under $1 billion once next year’s budget goes into effect.

“We feel like we need to sort of get back to basics on general revenue spending,� Haug said. “Times are going to be tougher as we go forward.�

Despite the concerns, the committee advanced the measure to the full Senate on a unanimous vote, setting up a possible showdown on the floor for Wednesday.

The House hasn’t gaveled into session while awaiting action in the Senate.

The possibility of added money for ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½ would be one way to secure Democratic votes needed to push the $1.2 billion stadium plan across the finish line.

In addition to the stadium funding plan and disaster relief, the package includes $25 million for a nuclear research reactor for the University of Missouri and $55 million for a new livestock barn at the Missouri State Fair in Sedalia.

The outlay also includes $48 million for a mental health hospital in Kansas City.

Stadium subsidies advance

The stadium proposal, which won approval on a 6-3 vote in the Senate Fiscal Oversight Committee, would require Missouri to pay up to half of the cost of a new Royals stadium and for renovations to Arrowhead Stadium for the Chiefs. The money would cover annual bond payments for the projects up to the amount the teams generated in state tax revenue the year before applying for the incentives.

Democrats have vowed to block any attempt to move forward on the stadium subsidies until money set aside for disaster relief has been approved in the Senate and the House and is on the governor’s desk.

Kehoe spent time Tuesday morning shuttling between Senate offices trying to strike a deal.

He and lawmakers are trying to counter an offer from Kansas, which earlier approved a sales tax subsidy program that would finance 70% of the stadium costs for the Chiefs and Royals if they move across the border. The Kansas package expires at the end of June.

The Chiefs and Royals currently play in neighboring stadiums at a complex on the east side of Kansas City. The leases on the stadiums run until 2031. The Royals say the team won’t play at Kauffman Stadium beyond the 2030 season.

Sen. Kurtis Gregory, a Saline County Republican, said Kansas’ offer is viable and must be countered.

He said the stadium question was at the forefront of voters in his district during last November’s election.

“I think it’s very responsible,� said Gregory, a former professional football player who is sponsoring the measure.

Sen. Steve Roberts, D-ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½, said the appearance of doling out money to sports teams when his city is suffering looks ugly.

“It’s egregious we’re talking about hundreds of millions of dollars when people have lost everything,� Roberts said.

“I understand the timing of it,� Gregory said. “This is the timeline we’re forced to live with.�