Hillsborough County Commissioner Joshua Wostal indicated the Tampa Bay Rays ballpark deal could face resistance from the Tampa Community Redevelopment Agency in the coming week. During an appearance on The Ryan Gorman Show, Wostal suggested the CRA may vote to remove the Rays memorandum of understanding from its upcoming agenda, which could force the deal back to the negotiating table. The current MOU promises $80 million from the city of Tampa and $100 million from the CRA, along with additional public funding.
Wostal emphasized that the Drew Park CRA, the only legal body authorized to approve CRA dollars, declined to vote on the proposal at its last meeting and postponed action until June. He noted that county attorneys confirmed no executed MOU has been advertised because neither the Tampa Mayor nor the Tampa City Council can approve CRA funds. If the CRA votes to remove the item from the agenda, the entire MOU structure changes and the agreement must return to all parties for passage. Some Tampa City Council members, including swing vote Bill Carlson, have expressed frustration that the Tampa Bay Rays negotiated primarily with Mayor Jane Castor while excluding council members and their requests from discussions. Carlson told Florida Politics the Rays failed to negotiate meaningfully with council since the MOU was approved by the city and county last month.
Wostal voiced multiple concerns about the financial aspects of the proposal. He stated the county has not received sufficient information to justify the subsidy size, including detailed site plans, proof of financing, or documentation supporting the team's claimed $2.3 billion project cost. An outside review raised questions about projections that the development would generate $6 billion in tax revenue over 35 years, with Wostal arguing the actual return could be substantially lower. He criticized the current MOU for using local tax dollars, disaster recovery money, infrastructure funds, and potentially public safety funds to support the stadium. Instead, Wostal argued the stadium should be funded through user fees and tourism tax dollars alone.
Wostal also highlighted other upcoming sports facility obligations facing Hillsborough County, including potential renovations at Raymond James Stadium and future needs at Amalie Arena. He emphasized that funding requirements for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and competing community investment priorities make protecting taxpayer dollars essential. While Wostal said he opposes keeping the Rays in the Tampa Bay area, he stated he cannot support a deal without stronger financial protections. "I can't sell people down the river," Wostal said on the radio show.