Rays Stadium Deal: Hagan Pushes for May Vote, Critics Demand Public Scrutiny

0:00Hillsboro County Commissioner, Ken Hagen, is pushing hard for a vote on a new Tampa Bay Ray Stadium deal, aiming for May 6th at the county level, and May 7th, with the Tampa City Council. He's been championing a ballpark in Tampa for almost 20 years, and now the race is new owners, won it ready by spring of 2029, on the Dale Maybury campus at Hillsboro Community College. The ownership group has moved fast since their October intro, but staff from the team, County and City still need to lock down a final proposal. Before any workshops or hearings kick off, Hagen says time is critical, with just a couple major issues left to iron out on the term sheet. Not everyone's on board with the rush though. Commissioners like Christine Miller, Harry Cohen, and Joshua Washtau want more public scrutiny no matter. The timeline. They've got a workshop set for April 16th, followed by hearings, and they're drawing a line against getting pressured. Progress is real, with Hagen noting solid headway toward agreement, paving the way for

1:00open debate on the project's upsides, once it's public. Tampa City Council chair Alan Clinton and echoes that, promising full transparency when the deal drops, even if there's only slight wiggle room on, dates. Behind the scenes, heavy hitters like Governor Ron DeSantis, Mayor Jane Caster, and the owners mingled at the Ray's home opener, signaling strong, backing. The financing hinges on $467 million from the county's tourist tax, despite pushback legal advice, is coming soon. But Hagen. And sis, it's maker break for sealing this. This has been Tampa Bay News Today, powered by AI.