City Council Blasted for Rays' Deal Denial: Do You Agree?

Thursday’s decision by the St. Petersburg City Council to reject a deal that would enable the Tampa Bay Rays to look for a new stadium site was shortsighted, fear-driven and may jeopardize major league play in the region all together.

That’s the contention of the Tampa Bay Times’ editorial board on the morning after the 5-3 vote. Council members Steve Kornell, Wengay Newton, Amy Foster, Jim Kennedy and Bill Dudley came out against the proposal.

Mayor Rick Kriseman worked long and hard with the Rays to come up with a compromise that would enable the team with dwindling attendance to seek out a new place to play locally while protecting the city financially, the Times contends.

Under the proposed deal, the team would have been able to buy itself out of a contract that requires play at Tropicana Field through 2027.

Had the deal been approved and the Rays moved out of Tropicana Field, the team would have had to pay the city $4 million a season through December 2018. Those payments would have dropped to $3 million a season between 2019 and 2022 and $2 million a season between 2023 to 2026.

See Also:

• St. Pete Council Rejects Rays Deal
• Rays Deal Paves Way for Team’s Move Out of St. Pete
• St. Pete, Rays Close to Stadium Deal?
• Battle of the Bay: Where Do You Think the Rays Should Play?

Despite the team’s agreement, it has been eyeing other possible stadium sites for some time. Speculation has run high the baseball team might move into Hillsborough County. Officials there even recently named a point organization to facilitate talks.

A battle with St. Petersburg and Pinellas County on one side and Hillsborough County on the other has been heating up for more than a year. Major League Baseball has also made it clear a new stadium is needed.

While it remains unclear what move the Rays or the city will make next, the Times concludes if the team does leave the region residents should “remember which five council members are to blame.”

What are your thoughts on the rejection? Was it a good move for the city or not? Tell us what you think by commenting below!

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