Changes are coming to the public financing plan for the proposed $2.3 billion Tampa Bay Rays stadium, according to Tampa City Council member Bill Carlson.<\/p>\n
Carlson, in a pair of interviews on Wednesday, said he did not know specifics but indicated negotiators have adjusted how the city and Hillsborough County agreed to split up a $976 million investment outlined in a nonbinding memorandum of understanding<\/a>.<\/p>\n \u201cIt’s evolved completely since the MOU,\u201d Carlson told podcaster J.P. Peterson.<\/p>\n Carlson said he only learned of the adjustment after a meeting that included CEO Ken Babby, County Administrator Bonnie Wise and an unnamed county commissioner on Tuesday.<\/p>\n \u201cThey were going through the model as it is now,\u201d Carlson told WDAE\u2019s \u201cPat and Aaron Show.\u201d \u201cAs they rearrange the numbers, I think it\u2019s going to be more equal.\u201d<\/p>\n In May, Tampa and Hillsborough approved the nonbinding framework. The city\u2019s contribution included $80 million from its portion of a special half-cent sales tax \u2013 which must go only toward infrastructure \u2013 and $100 million in future property tax revenue from a designated community redevelopment area. The county was set to cover $796 million.<\/p>\n Carlson likely would not have been invited to such a meeting before Friday, when Babby pledged to meet individually with council members and bring their concerns and ideas to the negotiating table.<\/p>\n ALSO READ: Tampa mayor rejects feud narrative with city council over Rays stadium talks<\/a><\/p>\n \u201cWell, the numbers that were presented then are different than the numbers are now, and I wouldn’t have known that if Friday hadn’t happened because the mayor’s office had not allowed us to participate,\u201d Carlson said.<\/p>\n Until Babby and Carlson met for breakfast Friday, the city\u2019s negotiating process was largely controlled by Mayor Jane Castor\u2019s administration, which Castor said regularly briefed council members.<\/p>\n “The mayor will say, ‘Oh, yeah, we’re giving people briefings,’ but briefings are one- directional. It doesn’t have a to and fro,” Carlson said.<\/p>\n In May, Tampa and Hillsborough approved the nonbinding framework. The city\u2019s contribution included $80 million from its portion of a special half-cent sales tax \u2013 which must go only toward infrastructure \u2013 and $100 million in future property tax revenue from a designated community redevelopment area. The county was set to cover $796 million.<\/p>\n \u201cThe deal itself is really different than I think the (city) administration knows,\u201d Carlson said, adding that he expects the Rays to publicly announce the revisions after discussions with council members conclude.<\/p>\n Carlson\u2019s comments mark his latest response to Castor, who publicly criticized Thursday\u2019s two votes by the city council, saying they jeopardized the project before negotiations were complete.<\/p>\n The first removed a vote from the Community Redevelopment Agency\u2019s Aug. 20 meeting on the MOU, which included the $100 million from the CRA in Drew Park, where stadium would anchor an $8 billion private mixed-use development. The second rejected a routine transfer of land-use changes for the site to the state for review.<\/p>\n \u201cWhat happened last week was that we turned down two minor things that can easily be reversed,\u201d Carlson said.<\/p>\n The actions have been characterized as pushback by councilors over being left out of the negotiations, then given little time to discuss options before a vote. He said that was a problem when the administration sent the nonbinding MOU to the council in May.<\/p>\n ALSO READ: Rays open dialogue with Tampa City Council after stadium votes spark mayor\u2019s backlash<\/a><\/p>\n \u201cThey dropped it on us at the last minute,\u201d he said. \u201cThen we were asked to vote yes or no without any input or any ability to talk because of the Florida Sunshine Law.\u201d<\/p>\n Under the statutes, council members cannot talk to each other outside of an official meeting.<\/p>\n \u201cIt was the first time we had had a chance to discuss it publicly together,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n That evening following the votes, Babby called Carlson and they agreed to meet over breakfast. Carlson said he paid for Babby\u2019s meal.<\/p>\n \u201cHe started talking about the deal, and I said I really insist that you meet with all the city council members. And because of (the) Sunshine (Law), he can’t tell me what they say, but he can have individual conversations with them, and then he can bring that back to the negotiating table, and they can represent that.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cJane has led this negotiation so far and all we have seen is political chaos. Don’t you think the Rays should give council a chance to fix this?\u201dhttps:\/\/t.co\/NyxTSOeUcY<\/a><\/p>\n