TAMPA, Fla. – Owners of the Tampa Bay Rays have proposed a $2.3 billion new stadium in Tampa. They would like local taxpayers to pick up half the costs. If this deal moves forward, area residents could be left with decades of tax commitments.
Worst of all, residents aren’t being allowed to vote on the issue.
The team’s lease at Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg runs through the end of the 2028 season. Owners have pitched moving to a new 30,000-seat indoor stadium at the former Hillsborough College site. While the Rays say they will cover about half of the construction cost, the county is exploring using public funding, including the Community Investment Tax, to make up the rest.
Americans for Prosperity‑Florida believes spending decisions of this magnitude deserve the direct consent of the people who pay the bills. If this plan is truly beneficial for the community, let voters decide at the ballot box.
Supporters argue that the stadium deal creates jobs and economic prosperity. But decades of economic research has consistently found that publicly funded stadiums deliver little to no meaningful economic growth and can even have a negative impact. Rather than creating new economic activity, they largely shift existing local spending, while taxpayers remain responsible for billions in infrastructure and long-term costs.
Even state leaders are raising serious concerns. In a recent Tampa Bay Times op-ed, State Representative Danny Alvarez warned that this deal could saddle taxpayers with more than $1 billion in costs. It would also divert funding from critical infrastructure, public safety, and essential services. Residents would be left paying more while receiving less in return.
The Community Investment Tax was renewed by voters in 2024 to fund transportation projects, public works, safety services, public facilities, utilities, and schools. That allocation represented a clear commitment between elected officials and taxpayers. Some commissioners are now considering using that same revenue for a private sports facility. That use was not considered or approved by voters.
If county politicians believe public funding for the stadium is needed, they should make their case and let taxpayers have the final say at the ballot box.
Commissioner Joshua Wostal requested that all draft documents and notes related to the negotiations be released, but the motion was rejected by other commissioners. Instead, the board agreed to hold a workshop once the outline of a deal is ready. This approach has left taxpayers without access to key details and raises important questions about transparency and accountability.
Hillsborough County already faces significant infrastructure and public safety needs. Nearly 28 fire stations need to be built, roads are congested, and water and stormwater systems are underfunded. More than a billion public dollars could be diverted to a stadium, while these essential services remain shortchanged.
Long-term investment in the project would leave taxpayers responsible for hundreds of millions in interest, creating a multi-decade financial obligation. Public funds could also subsidize property the team would use without paying property taxes, while uncertainty remains over whether taxpayers would receive fair compensation for the Hillsborough Community College land currently owned by the state.
This is not a partnership. The Rays would enjoy a new stadium while taxpayers take on the risk. If a new stadium makes financial sense, the team should build it using private funds.
On top of this, the Buccaneers’ lease expires in the near future. Residents could soon face a similar request for public funding for a professional sports stadium. Elected leaders will have to decide if taxpayer dollars will be prioritized responsibly or if they will continue financing professional sports at the expense of essential services.
Floridians value transparency, accountability, and taxpayers’ rights. The proposed Tampa Bay Rays stadium deal is too large, too costly, and too uncertain to be decided behind closed doors. If county leaders believe the stadium is a good use of public dollars, they should trust voters to make that decision.
Rachel Moscoso is the Strategic Director of Americans for Prosperity-Florida and resident of Hillsborough county.
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