County Shows Taxpayers The Rays Stadium Shiny Hood - Taxpayers Lift Hood And Find a Dirty Greasy Slimy Engine With Missing Parts

Taxpayers look under the Shiny Hood

The public gets shown the Rays Stadium's Shiny Hood. 

When Taxpayers Lift the Shiny Hood, they find a Dirty Greasy Slimy Engine with Missing Parts.

Yet last week Hillsborough County commissioners (5-2) and Tampa city council (4-3) voted to approve the Ray's Stadium Shiny Hood Memorandum of Demands. 

County Commissioners Myers, Cohen, Boles and Miller asked NO questions about what's under the Ray's Stadium Shiny Hood. They condescendingly said the Stadium's Shiny Hood was enough to approve moving the Rays Memorandum of Demand along for "further negotiating" 

They were bluffing. The Rays "Kingpin Ken" called it a "Monumental Day" because he knew....

Further negotiating will not come.

Immediately after their Memorandum of Demand was approved, the Rays publicly claimed they are done negotiating. They will not contribute a dime more to their New Stadium.

The only thing left is for the County and Tampa to ram the Rays Stadium Shiny Hood through the Process ASAP.

Under the Rays Stadium Shiny Hood, we find this dirt:

• Rays confiscate 85% of CIT funds from the County and 61% from Tampa in the First year of the Tax
• Rays confiscate 71% of CIT funds from the County and 53% from Tampa over the first FOUR years of the Tax

This is basic information under the Rays Stadium Shiny Hood that County staff, Hagan, Myers, Boles & Miller are hiding from the public.  They know it would spark even more outrage, especially from voters who were told the CIT would NOT fund any New Stadium.

Lifting the Shiny Hood, we find a lot of grime, grease and missing major parts that need major repair work.

Major part missing: Hillsborough County and Tampa refuse to provide the opportunity costs of pushing at least $1.5 BILLION taxpayer dollars (includes debt cost) to the Rays for a New Stadium. Adding in those costs will destroy the fairy dust and unicorn "economic development" narrative.

Some grime: Miller confused the Rays Stadium with the Bucs Stadium. The Bucs Stadium was funded by specifically placing that funding question on the ballot in 1996 that was passed. She cannot equate the two without asking that the Rays Stadium funding be placed on the 2026 ballot and let the people vote.

Very greasy: The Rays Public-Private Partnership is being created by 5 county commissioners who will allow:

• The Rays to jump to the head of the line to confiscate your CIT funds that voters were promised would NOT be used for any New Stadium
• The Rays to raid $103 MILLION of the County's Cash Reserves that Rays "Kingpin Ken" Hagan lectured could never be touched and never be used to fund the County's neglected roads. Roads are an "Essential Core Function of Local Government aka a NEED" but suddenly it's A-OK to raid them for a New Stadium that is "NOT an Essential Core Function of Local Government aka a WANT".
• The Rays to be handed a massive amount of Tourist Taxes Upfront that is Bonded while Taxpayers get hundreds of millions of dollars of debt costs for decades 
• The Rays to get back ALL - dollar for dollar - the Stadium District CRA property taxes that exceeds the debt service which is totally unfair to the rest of the County's taxpayers.
• County/Cit to get No Naming Rights Revenue or an Equity Stake to help protect Taxpayers who are being forced without a referendum vote to UPFRONT pay for about half the Stadium cost and incur debt for decades.

We'll help answer the following Missing Parts that Myers, Cohen, Boles and Miller refused to ask about:

1. What would happen when the State eliminates/reduces property taxes on homesteaded property? 

Easy Answer: The Bad Deal totally falls apart.   

2. The Rays get "their" tax dollars UPFRONT so what happens during economic downturns over the next 15 years and the CIT and Tourist Tax tank? 

 Answer: Bondholders must be paid FIRST, projects promised voters in 2024 delayed or ignored, and delayed projects will cost taxpayers more with inflation (That happened when the last 20 years of 1996 CIT were bonded out in 2007 and the Big Recession hit in 2008). Roads and infrastructure will continue to be neglected.

3. What happens to the projects promised to voters in 2024 simply due to the elimination of sales tax on commercial leases? Answer: Revenue will be at least 8-10% less and with the Rays grabbing "their" share UPFRONT, it will negatively impact those projects.

4. What CIT revenue growth is actually being used with funding the New Stadium? 

Answer: The County has thrown out CIT revenue growth rates like they are darts on a dart board. CIT growth rates have ranged from 3% (what voters were told in 2024) to 3.6% claimed earlier this year after the commercial lease sales tax was eliminated to 4.1% which the Rays claimed and now being used by the County to an absurd 6.1%  

The public has no idea what the actual numbers are under the Rays Stadium Shiny Hood. 

It appears the County throws out whatever growth rate they need at the time for whatever number they are looking for. Did they mislead voters in 2024? Were they intentionally trying to create a slush fund?

Hillsborough County has already lost 2 lawsuits related to misleading voters related to referendums. Did they learn anything?

The Rays Stadium Shiny Hood of Demands have been exposed. The engine under that Hood is Dirty, Greasy Slimy and Missing Major Parts.

The Rays were never going to negotiate further. They got 5 county commissioners and 4 Tampa city council members to approve the Rays Demands by looking at their Stadium Shiny Hood. That's all they wanted.

What was approved last week wasn't to continue negotiating but to Continue the Process to ram the Rays Stadium Shiny Hood Bad Deal through ASAP.

The Taxpayers get stuck with the Dirty, Greasy, Slimy Engine under the Rays Stadium Shiny Hood that's Missing Parts and needs Major Repairs.

Not a good week for Myers, Cohen, Boles and Miller. They  either got hoodwinked or were all in on the Rays Stadium Shiny Hood Charade.

Commissioners Get Played By The Rays or Just Bow Down to the Rays "Kingpin Ken"?

Today's Tampa Bay Times Headline

Arrogance drips off the Rays CEO as he admits the Rays were never going to further negotiate and their current Memorandum of Demand Bad Deal is it - take it or leave it.

Local media knew it as local news headlines claimed the County had approved the MOU like it's a done deal.

With this headline being the most laughable:

The Rays and their "Kingpin Ken" used the Non-Binding" (Wink Wink Nod Nod) Memorandum of Demand to flush out and bind four other commissioners to move the Bad Deal forward.

This is why the Rays "Kingpin Ken" wanted to ram a vote through on the Sketchy Stadium Subsidy Scheme that has too little transparency, too many questions and too many issues unresolved.

Disregarding Rays "Kingpin Ken" who will do and say anything for a new taxpayer funded Rays Stadium, the other four commissioners - Myers, Cohen, Boles and Miller - gave up the County's only leverage to negotiate a better deal and an equity stake.

Myers, Cohen, Boles and Miller voted to approve the Rays Memorandum of Demand that allows the Rays to jump to the head of the line and loot the County's CIT renewal funds Upfront - before a dime of those funds are used for promised road and infrastructure projects.

Myers, Cohen, Boles and Miller voted to approve the Rays confiscating $103 MILLION of Cash Reserves - the rainy day fund that "Kingpin Ken" always claimed could never be used for roads - an "essential core function of government" as Boles claimed when he campaigned in 2024.

But the Rays "Kingpin Ken" is A-OK with the Rays taking those Reserves just as Hurricane season is to begin.

All those claims by Myers, Cohen, Boles and Miller that this was to just keep the negotiations appears to have been all a Ruse.

 

The Rays say their Demand for the County''s CIT funds, Property Taxes, Cash Reserves, Tourist Taxes and the forcing of massive Debt on taxpayers for decades is the End All Deal and it will not change.

We fully expected Rays "Kingpin Ken" to allow such fiscal malfeasance. But Myers, Cohen, Boles and Miller should have said NO and sent the Rays Demand Memo back to the drawing board.

Bad policies, especially those negotiated behind closed doors with little transparency and lots of questions unanswered, should be stopped ASAP not pushed forward.

Seems eerily similar to "We have to pass the [Obamacare} bill so that you can find out what is in it".....

Two years ago a super majority of Hillsborough County commissioners, including Ken Hagan, promised voters in 2024 that NO CIT renewal funds would be used to fund ANY NEW Stadium.

Two years later on May 20, 2026 BOCC a super majority of Hillsborough County commissioners - Hagan, Myers, Cohen, Boles and Miller - violated that promise. 

The Bad Deal also violates the 2024 campaign commitments made by Boles and Miller who have already filed to run again in 2028.

Were Myers, Cohen, Boles and Miller played by the Rays and "Kingpin Ken". If so that is incompetence and bad judgment reflecting poor governance.

Were Myers, Cohen, Boles and Miller just bowing down to the Rays "Kingpin Ken" for whatever reason? If so, that is unethical governance that reeks of impropriety.

The Rays threw their Memorandum of Demand to the County and the City to get approved ASAP knowing full well they were done with negotiating about the public funding. 

Trust has been destroyed!  

While Taxpayers Suffer Consequences of Bad Judgment, Bloated Budgets and Bureaucracy, Rays Want Taxpayer Billions For A New Stadium

Commissioner Ken Hagan plays round of Golf at the
Valspar Golf Tournament with Rays Billionaire Owner
Patrick Zalupski (pic from TBBJ)

Hillsborough County commissioner Ken Hagan plays a round of golf at the Valspar Golf Tournament with Rays Billionaire owner Patrick Zalupski. Hagan then tells the Tampa Bay Business Journal that Taxpayers won't "feel" the costs of a new Rays Stadium. 👀👀

Hagan appointed himself in 2010 to lead the charge for a new Rays stadium. He's maintained being a commissioner for 24 way too long years by using a loophole to jump back and forth between single district and countywide seats.

Why wouldn't Hagan abide by the intent of the term limits in the County Charter?  Because he wants his legacy - a new Taxpayer funded Rays Stadium.  

Hillsborough County's budget was ballooning over the last decade or so with property tax revenues skyrocketing. However, NONE aka ZERO of the rising property tax revenues were being used to fund roads. County constituents kept demanding roads be properly funded using the existing revenue stream that was skyrocketing.

Thus, Hagan could have been a hero years ago to his constituents and taxpayers if he would have championed properly funding roads as the county budget ballooned. 

Hagan did not listen and instead kept advocating for new sales tax hikes instead of funding roads with existing rising revenues.

While roads and infrastructure were neglected and the County kept raising your water, sewer and garbage fees, Hagan has been pushing for a new taxpayer funded Rays stadium for 16 years. He has wanted another sales tax hike so he could help fund the stadium with other County revenues and a renewed CIT tax.

www.eyeontampabay.com/2017/11/the-day-hagan-became-candidate-hagan-r_20.html

As growth occurred and traffic congestion exploded, Hagan kept publicly scolding us that Cash Reserves cannot be used to fund roads because it would impact the County’s bond rating. Now Hagan is A-OK with the Rays raiding $103M of Cash Reserves - just as Hurricane season begins - to fund a New Rays Stadium.

www.eyeontampabay.com/2016/06/taxpayers-beware-sales-tax-hike-is-for.html

To the detriment of taxpayers, Hagan has a history of bad judgment. 

It was Hagan who pushed the county commissioners in 2007 to bond out the last 20 years of the 1996 CIT tax. Voters were told in 1996 those funds would be spent in 10 year increments on capital improvements and not be bonded out to incur massive debt. 

Hagan and Mike Merrill claimed in 2007 there would be so much CIT revenue that all the projects promised could be funded together with paying off the bond holders. 

The very next year the Recession hit Florida big in 2008. The CIT revenue tanked but the bond holders had to be paid first and projects promised could not be funded. 

CIT never recovered enough to fund what was promised due to the huge amount of debt Hagan caused the County to incur.

Hagan also led the charge in 2015-2016 for the corrupt Go Hillsborough (GH) sales tax hike for transit and trains. Like the Stadium deal, GH was orchestrated behind the scenes with little transparency. It was so corrupt it caused a law enforcement investigation and forced changes to County policies regarding lobbyists.

www.eyeontampabay.com/2018/08/the-three-faces-of-hagan.html

By January 2015 with the tax hike GH campaign underway, District Rays Candidate Hagan and his alter ego Tax Hike Hagan had his baseball and tax hike agenda both lined up. The District Rays Candidate Hagan had gotten his secret baseball committee created and got the county to hire an expensive NY baseball law firm Foley and Lardner to negotiate with the Rays.

From FY2020 to FY2023, the County Administrator departments - the County Bureaucracy - increased its operating costs from $1.1 BILLION to $1.8 BILLION. The County's Bureaucracy grew by $700 MILLION, a 61% increase in 4 years at an annual growth rate of 17.2% which is way over population growth plus inflation. 

That is un-excusable and fiscally irresponsible.

http://www.eyeontampabay.com/2023/06/hillsborough-county-blows-through-all.html

After a DOGE audit of Hillsborough County last year, Florida's CFO Blaise Ingoglia stated "

The taxpayers of this county should be outraged at the level of property taxes they are putting into the public coffers, only for it to be wasted by bureaucrats and career politicians

Abusive use of local property tax revenues is why DeSantis is looking to call a summer special session in July or August about putting a Constitutional Amendment to eliminate or reduce property taxes on homesteaded properties on the November ballot. 

If the Amendment gets on the ballot and passes with at least 60%, the Rays deal will totally fall apart.

Hagan clearly stated his support for NOT using CIT renewal funds for new Stadium at the CIT renewal public hearing in 2024:

I COMPLETELY SUPPORTED ELIMINATING A COMMUNITY STADIUM OR STADIUMS BEING BUILT WITH THE TAX, TOTALLY FINE WITH THAT.

It is now obvious that claim was one big lie to pacify voters to pass the renewal tax. A lot of Hagan's claims throughout the years have come with an expiration date.

Hillsborough County has been abusing taxpayers for way too long. We cannot believe Hagan and those commissioners who pompously pontificate to the public with scripted bravado about a Rays Stadium being the miracle drug for "economic development" (not economic prosperity). 

The buzzword "Economic Development" often results in prosperity only among a small elite. It does NOT equate to Economic Prosperity that is tangible improvements for ALL residents. 

If Stadiums were the miracle revenue drug, Hillsborough County taxpayers has been paying for 3 stadiums for decades - RayJay, the Arena and Steinbrenner Field.

With 3 such revenue miracle drugs, the roads should be paved in gold and flooding fixed long ago. Yet the County's roads and infrastructure continued to be neglected.

Commissioner Boles voted to approve the Rays Memorandum of Demand at yesterday's BOCC meeting. We will find out soon whether Commissioner Boles actually meant what he told voters in 2024 when he campaigned on:

It’s more important now than ever to stop wasteful spending and unnecessary costs in Hillsborough County’s budget. I am committed to focusing on the essential core functions of government: ensuring adequate public safety, enhancing our roadways, developing infrastructure to support sustainable growth, and maintaining fiscal responsibility with taxpayer funds.

Boles' Goals included: Invest in infrastructure to reduce traffic and address flooding and Keep a balanced budget, eliminate waste, fraud and abuse in government 

Commissioner Miller also voted to approve the Rays Memorandum of Demand yesterday. We will find out soon whether Commissioner Miller, who campaigned in 2024 as a "Conservative" Republican who claimed she was "committed to meeting the NEEDS [Not WANTS] of the community and advocated for funding critical roads and infrastructure" actually meant it.

A new Rays Stadium is a WANT NOT A NEED. Spending $1.5 BILLION of taxpayer dollars to pay for a new Stadium is NOT FUNDING AN ESSENTIAL CORE FUNCTION OF GOVERNMENT. Front loading a Billionaire's new Stadium with Taxpayer dollars forcing Taxpayers to the back of the line for the crumbs is even worse.  

Boles and Miller have already filed to run again in 2028. They may have to replace their campaign literature.

There are too many NEEDS in Hillsborough County that must be funded FIRST. For the Rays to race across the Howard Frankland Bridge and demand they jump to the head of the line to get your tax dollars First and Upfront is outrageous.

After witnessing all the massive fraud recently, taxpayers are sick of being the punching bag for crony politicians, bloated County staff, and pay offs to special interests.

The electorate is sick of pontificating politicians who lie to them.

Those across the political spectrum from Conservatives to Progressives vigorously oppose the Rays Stadium Subsidy Scam.

Because it's a Bad Deal.

Voter Betrayal, Payoffs & Massive Taxpayer Debt So Rays Can Get "Their" Stadium Funding Upfront and FIRST

Game on! 

Hillsborough County commissioners set to vote whether to approve the latest Rays "Memorandum of Demand" at the May 20th BOCC meeting.

Fearful of a lawsuit, semantics is now being used by Hillsborough County and city of Tampa to defend their use of CIT funds for a Rays stadium. 

As we reported here, Ken Hagan and majority of county commissioners told voters in 2024 that the CIT renewal funds would NOT be used to fund any NEW Stadium. They specifically removed "Community Stadium" from the referendum ballot language.

Below is from the February 2024 Hillsborough County CIT Workshop:

According to the latest "Memorandum of Demand" from the Rays, 

The CIT Contribution Amount may only be spent on Public Use Areas, and only if each of the County’s and City’s respective CIT project list, is amended, following respective public hearings, to include the New Ballpark Project as a “public facility”. 

In other words, the Rays demand "they" get "their" infrastructure UPFRONT and FIRST.

The 2024 CIT renewal ballot language included no wording in it to fund anything for any NEW stadium.  Hillsborough County and city of Tampa provided voters with a list of projects the CIT renewal tax would fund before the election. Those lists included NO funding related to any new Rays Stadium to gain voter support. The County and city of Tampa knew voters would reject using CIT to fund anything related to a New Rays Stadium.

Now they are using word games to subvert the intent of the voters they misled in 2024. 

While the "Rays infrastructure" gets priority with YOUR CIT funds, projects such as the Lithia Pinecrest and CR29 intersection have been delayed. This project, delayed for years, will not complete until at least 2033 years after the Rays have gotten "their" infrastructure projects completed. 

Many CIT projects could be at risk if CIT revenues fall and/or bondholders must be paid first.  

Thanks to Commissioner Wostal for documenting a comparison of changes made since the Rays April 9th "Memorandum of Demand" he addressed to Hillsborough County Taxpayers. It is not a pretty picture for taxpayers.

• If CIT revenues do not meet projections, there is NO Rays-secured shortfall backstop - aka the County must rob Peter (other projects) to pay Paul (the Rays).
• Rays Demand an additional $103M of County funds in addition to the CIT, CRA (your property tax revenue used to enrich the Rays owners) and Tourist tax funds.
• There is NO Documented Revenue Source for where the funds will come from
• Wostal indicates the additional $103M will likely come from the County's Property Tax General Fund that are the most flexible funds that only requires a simple commission majority vote, no public hearing needed.
• Bonding of the Tourist Tax only will cost taxpayers between $240 MILLION  and $280 MILLION in interest payments.
• Bonding of the Tourist Tax and CIT will cost taxpayers between $500 MILLION and $600 MILLION in interest payments.
• Total Interest payments forced on Taxpayers could be approximately $1.55 BILLION not including Bond Issuance Costs and Pre-Pricing Rate-Rise Risk Costs.
• Public Funding Cap does NOT include bond and risk costs to the Taxpayers.
• Rays get credited back on a dollar-for-dollar basis, future increased property tax revenues that exceed scheduled debt service for the CRA Bonds.
• Rays will retain ALL revenue from tickets, suites, sponsorships, concessions, special events, merchandise, broadcasting rights, royalties, licensing fees, concession fees, non-public parking and ALL naming rights revenue.

Where is the Rays Upfront CIT funds coming from if the County does not Bond out that revenue stream? Will they raid the County Reserves or raid more of your Property Tax Revenues?

Beware of the legal jargon use of the word "OR" instead of "AND" when the Rays "Memorandum of Demand" claims:

Funding from the CIT hereunder shall be implemented so as not to impact any public funds allocated for public infrastructure improvements or public safety within the region, including fire protection, law enforcement and emergency medical services. Using the word "OR" means either one but not both. Using the word "AND" means to include both. The County and city of Tampa are trying to skirt a lawsuit by including this claim. However, the voters were told BOTH much needed backlogged infrastructure AND public safety would be funded by the 2024 CIT Renewal.  It appears this claim is to sway (perhaps Payoff??) Commissioner Chris Boles who spent 28 years as a Hillsborough County firefighter and was an Officer and Spokesperson for the County's Firefighter's Union. Every single First Responder's Organization in Hillsborough County, including the Firefighter's Union, the Police Benevolent Association and Sheriff Chronister endorsed Boles in 2024. They were all a large part of his donor base. We have a good idea where he will land if having to choose between public safety OR infrastructure funding.   Boles 2024 campaign website states: It’s more important now than ever to stop wasteful spending and unnecessary costs in Hillsborough County’s budget. I am committed to focusing on the essential core functions of government: ensuring adequate public safety, enhancing our roadways, developing infrastructure to support sustainable growth, and maintaining fiscal responsibility with taxpayer funds. We need to bring critical thinking and common sense back to our government,” Boles continues. We will find out on the 20th whether Boles thinks spending a couple Billion dollars of tax dollars and interest for a new Rays stadium is a "core function of government". We'll find out if he thinks it is fiscally responsible for taxpayers to fund the Rays sketchy stadium subsidy deal and incur massive debt for decades. And we'll find out if he likes the use of the word "Or". The Rays have never specified where their own financing is coming from that begs the question whether they actually have a financing scheme. Their latest "Memorandum of Demand" states the Rays will give public funders access to their own financing information prior to "commitment of public funds". This is absurd! Could you even apply for a mortgage and not provide the mortgage company with your income information?  Perhaps this is the Rays "Give Us Your Tax Dollars Upfront and we'll run to the Bank/Investors and get our financing" moment. The Rays want it all - Your CIT, your Tourist Taxes and your Property Taxes all Upfront and loaded with taxpayer debt. If one is actually critically thinking about the Rays "Memorandum of Demand", as Commissioner Boles claims he will do, they would JUST SAY NO!  If the County and the City approves the Rays sketchy stadium subsidy scheme, they will: Break their promises to the voters Put a massive debt repayment burden on taxpayers Be ramming thru the Ray's demands to meet the Rays timeline using a process of backroom dealing and too little transparency Instead of approving the Rays Risky Business, the commissioners should be calling Three Strikes Rays and you are Out!  And remember INTENT means something!

Primary Election Time! Take Note of the SimWins Twins and Their Laundry "Machine Candidates"

The Primary election is upon us with early voting and the election on August 20th. Primary elections are where you the voter have the opportunity to elect "your" best candidate to proceed on to the General Election. 

However, the "Machine" believes "they" get to select candidates in the Primary election not you. The Machine wants power, control and influence. They use lots of circular money to do it.

Priority of Hillsborough County Commission Candidate Dr. Jim Davison: the County Budget

Dr. Jim Davison 

The Eye interviewed Republican Dr. Jim Davison who is running for the Hillsborough County Commission District 6 seat. District 6 is a countywide open race being vacated by Democrat Pat Kemp who is term limited this year.

Dr. Davison, an ER doctor, explains to the Eye why he is running and that his focus will be on the County budget. Hillsborough County's budget has ballooned to over $10 BILLION - double digit Billions for the first time - for FY25.