What we have here is noise.
Lots of noise, a dose of commotion and a dash of bareknuckle politics.
What we do not have is a crisis.
At least not yet.
That seems to be the appropriate way to view a weird and wild afternoon in the neverending pursuit of a ballpark for the Tampa Bay Rays.
In case you were preoccupied with real life, the day began with Tampa Mayor Jane Castor acknowledging to the Tampa Bay Times that the city would not be using the contentious Community Investment Tax to pay its share of the stadium and instead would seek a loan for that $80 million portion of the bill.
That seemed to trigger Hillsborough County Commissioner Christine Miller, who sent an email to the Times criticizing changes to the deal and taking a shot at council member Bill Carlson, whose complaints last month led to the reconfiguring of the financial framework. Commissioner Chris Boles also seemed unhappy with the latest direction of the project and told a Times reporter that he would likely be a “no” vote after voting to approve the memo of understanding (MOU) in May.
Meanwhile, the Rays were on the verge of releasing a draft of the financial documents but seemed to decide the moment was not right. And then, at 10:35 p.m. during a regularly-scheduled City Council meeting, Carlson proposed a vote on the stadium contract be held on Aug. 27. The motion passed 4-3 on the condition the Rays provide council members with a copy of the contract by Friday afternoon.
You got all of that? Then you’re probably wondering how it affects what seemed to be the finishing touches of a pursuit two decades in the making.
If Boles and Miller flip their votes, then the county’s 5-2 affirmative vote of the MOU turns into a 4-3 defeat for the Rays.
That sounds ominous, but it’s not necessarily assured.
While Miller’s email was pointed, she did not explicitly say she would vote against it. She seemed to take issue with the idea of the city securing an $80 million loan — as well as the Rays taking out a $100 million loan with both being reimbursed through property taxes generated by the multi-use development around the stadium — and suggested it would end up costing $380 million, presumably through interest charges.
“But here’s the kicker,” she wrote. “The city just denied zoning on the very economic engine that’s supposed to pay the whole thing back. So we’re on the hook for double, with nothing to pay it with.”
This was a reference to an unexpected council vote in July that denied zoning changes needed for the hotels, restaurants, corporate offices and other development around the ballpark that will generate the property taxes that would be used to repay the city, county and Rays for their investment in the ballpark. Miller wrote that she would not “send another dime” until the council provided a written guarantee that the development around the stadium would get city approval.
That’s interesting in a couple of ways.
No. 1, it seems to imply that Miller would be amenable to approving the stadium deal if she gets that guarantee.
No. 2, the Rays would be quite happy to get that assurance as well.
So, while the email sounded like a potential dealbreaker on the surface, it may eventually work out in the team’s favor.
In a text message, Carlson suggested Miller’s criticism was politically motivated to harm his mayoral candidacy.
“I have spent the past three weeks working with the county and the Rays to find a solution that will get broad support in the community,” Carlson wrote. “We spent the past week trying to get information to the public and get feedback.
“I intend to collaborate and partner with all parties. But if the county has decided not to move forward then we are subject to their direction.”
The day’s plot twists reflect the herding-of-cats nature of the entire process. The Rays thought they had a plan in July to avoid the city’s reticence on the deal, but were blindsided by the zoning issue. CEO Ken Babby spent weeks on an alternative solution that would secure Carlson’s vote, only to see that very solution potentially cost him votes on the county commission.
So where does it go from here?
Presumably, the Rays will release a draft of the financial documents on Friday to give the council, the commission and the public time to consume the details of the project. Six days later, the council will vote to approve the deal and the commission will cast its vote a day later.
At least, that’s the plan.
And as Thursday demonstrated, these folks don’t always follow the script.
John Romano can be reached at jromano@tampabay.com. Follow @romano_tbtimes.
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