{"id":276155,"date":"2026-05-19T04:39:32","date_gmt":"2026-05-19T04:39:32","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/276155\/"},"modified":"2026-05-19T04:39:32","modified_gmt":"2026-05-19T04:39:32","slug":"op-ed-just-say-no-to-rays-stadium-deal-says-former-tampa-elected-officials","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/276155\/","title":{"rendered":"Op-ed: \u2018Just say no\u2019 to Rays stadium deal, says former Tampa elected officials"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"ArchitecturalArchitectural rendering of the new Tampa Bay Rays stadium in Tampa Florida. Credit: Tampa Bay Rays<\/a><\/p>\n

Wouldn\u2019t we all like to be given 100 acres and a billion dollars?<\/p>\n

Chutzpah, cojones, nerve\u2026all of these words come to mind when hearing that the Rays\u2019 new billionaire owners are demanding free prime land on Dale Mabry and a one-billion-dollar<\/a> cash gift from the public.\u00a0 This week, our elected officials including Tampa City Council and the Hillsborough County Commission have a tough decision to make when voting on the Rays\u2019 proposal to fund a new baseball stadium in Tampa.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Here are just a few reasons why we\u2014the undersigned former elected officials who for a total of more than 50 years in office have \u201cbeen there and done that\u201d\u2014believe the current elected officials should \u201cJust say no.\u201d<\/p>\n

Use taxpayer money for its intended use<\/p>\n

Taxpayers expect that public funds (your money) are collected to be used for essential services such as police, fire, roads, sewers, affordable housing and hurricane resilience projects. The Rays\u2019 owners are demanding more than $1,500,000,000 (a billion and a half dollars\u2014including interest) of public money to build infrastructure around a private baseball stadium, draining funds away from these critical services.<\/p>\n

Bait and switch<\/p>\n

It is immoral, unethical and possibly illegal to use\u00a0even one penny of CIT (Community Investment Tax) generated money when the CIT ballot language in 2024 told voters that this sales tax would be used for transportation, public facilities and public infrastructure, not a private stadium.\u00a0 Moreover, when they put the CIT on the recent ballot, the County Commissioners debated the issue and expressly rejected including \u201cstadiums\u201d in the ballot language. With inflation pushing housing, insurance, grocery and gas prices up to record highs, this is not the time to burden residents with additional financial strain to subsidize billionaires.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Let the voters decide<\/p>\n

The Rays new owners are \u201cdemanding\u201d that our elected officials vote on this billion-dollar boondoggle\u00a0this week!\u00a0 Why? What\u2019s the hurry?\u00a0 Clearly, the owners are afraid of a public vote because it\u2019s easier to persuade eight elected officials than hundreds of thousands of voters.\u00a0The owners say they need a quick vote because \u201cthey must build and occupy a new stadium by 2029.\u201d This sense of urgency is fictional because the Rays can stay in the newly renovated Trop field in St Pete more or less indefinitely. Our elected officials must show the courage and backbone to\u00a0let the voters decide\u00a0how your CIT sales tax funds should be spent.<\/p>\n

Don\u2019t buy their false promises<\/p>\n

In every city where a billionaire sports team owner wants a new stadium, they hire consultants to spin the pitch and assure the local community that it will make money on the deal.\u00a0To the contrary, many independent studies on stadium subsidies over the past few decades have shown that the economic benefits produced fall far short of the owners\u2019 projections. For example, in Miami, their new baseball stadium saddled that community with a huge long-term debt and millions lost annually.\u00a0Similarly, the \u201cArt of this Deal\u201d (proposed by the Rays) clearly shows that the money generated by this stadium will also go to the owners and not to the community.<\/p>\n

Call their bluff<\/p>\n

We are already a \u201cMajor League\u201d\u00a0community with two world championship sports franchises.\u00a0While most folks would like baseball to stay in the region, there is\u00a0no compelling reason\u00a0that taxpayers need to pay one penny of public funds to keep it here!\u00a0We are a proven sports market and the 11th\u00a0largest media market in the nation. \u00a0 The owners of the Rays\u00a0NEED\u00a0to be in the Tampa Bay market much more than we\u00a0NEED\u00a0them to stay\u2026so elected officials,\u00a0call their bluff.<\/p>\n

Understand, that a \u201cNO\u201d vote this week doesn\u2019t mean no to the idea of a new stadium; rather, it merely sends a strong message to the owners and MLB that if one is built here,\u00a0\u00a0WE\u00a0will set the terms and\u00a0WE\u00a0won\u2019t be \u201cplayed\u201d.\u00a0<\/p>\n

County Commissioners, City Council, Mayor Castor:\u00a0 Stand up for your community and \u201dJust Say No\u201d !<\/p>\n

Readers: you can email your own comments to your elected officials (prior to Wednesday) at:<\/p>\n

Tampa City Council Tampacitycouncil@tampagov.<\/a>net<\/p>\n

Mayor Castor Jane.castor@tampagov.net<\/a><\/p>\n

Hillsborough County Commission hcfl.gov<\/a><\/p>\n

This is an op-ed signed by:
Hon. John Dingfelder \u2013 Former Tampa City Councilman
Hon. Mariella Smith \u2013 Former County Commissioner
Hon. Orlando Gudes \u2013 Former Tampa City Councilman
Hon. Pat Kemp \u2013 Former County Commissioner
Hon. Linda Saul Sena \u2013 Former Tampa Councilwoman<\/p>\n

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