Rays Win Stadium Funding Agreement Vote 4-3

Tampa City Council, on a 4-3 vote with Council Members Charlie Miranda, Guido Maniscalco and Lynn Hurtak voting no, approved the funding and development agreement with the Rays at their August 27, 2026 meeting. Despite the language in the agreement being altered right up to the morning of the vote, Council Members Bill Carlson, Luis Viera, Naya Young and Chair Alan Clendenin agreed in the first of many votes to contribute to the Tampa Bay Rays $80 million in four $20 million payments. Chief Financial Officer (CFO) Dennis Rogero laid out for council it was the city’s intention to borrow at least the first $20M. The remaining payments start October 1, 2027 and will be at the discretion of the next mayor and council. CFO Rogero emphasized the city isn’t handing the Rays a blank check, the Rays must submit proof of work for “horizontal infrastructure” to be reimbursed.

First of many votes because the agreement is a framework reliant on many, many steps and processes for all of the elements to be realized. None of the language in the agreement related to the Community Redevelopment Agency (CRA) was codified by the vote. While the CRA Board was technically in a special call meeting, they weren’t party to the agreement and took no action. Future votes related to the Interlocal Agreement with the county will be required to approve the proposed changes — which were altered from the original agreement posted when the agenda was first published. The CDD will still be cut out of the Drew Park district but now it will be extended. I interpreted the original agreement to say West Tampa and East Tampa districts would be extended 30 years, it’s actually 10 each. Also in the final version of the agreement I reviewed, Drew Park was also extended another 10 years. However, the county will not contribute any portion of their TIF to the districts after the original sunset date while the city continues to contribute 100%. Also tucked into the agreement, presumably for County Commissioner Gwen Myers is a provision that lets the county spend up to $6M of its West Tampa increment on the African American Arts and Cultural Center ($2M/yr starting FY27). Not to be confused with the West Tampa Arts and Cultural Center that was supposed to be a part of the Rome Yard development nearby.

There will still need to be details worked on for the Downtown district cap as language was added late that would somehow prevent those funds from being used to pay the Rays, though it’s unclear how this administration and council can put handcuffs on a future mayor or council. The funds either go into the CRA or they go into general funds, I’m not sure how you can dictate TIF contribution beyond that.

The subject of a Community Benefits Agreement was much discussed, with lots of promises from the Rays. The city left a blank in the agreement, only agreeing the county would get 65% of the number the county picked. Council Member Hurtak suggested a $75 million figure for the CBA but was told the city couldn’t alter the agreement (I guess beyond what the City Attorney had altered earlier that morning). The county initially proposed $50 million but that number was increased to $60M before the final vote. I’m just a hack blogger but it sure seems odd that you would give someone money and negotiate how much the team gives back in “community benefits”. Why not just give the Rays $60 million and keep the $20 million where you can decide how you want to spend it instead of making it look like charity from the Rays? But I digress.

There will also be plenty more votes at the county level including a need for a vote to change the approved projects list for the Community Investment Tax. It will be curious if that also requires a city vote or if the two entities control their own lists. This observer would find it humorous if the council member who opposed the use of CIT funds for the project but voted for the city to borrow the money instead still had to vote to allow the use of CIT funds on the stadium. I suspect there will be a race to get that vote done before the November election.