City Wants Cash Back from Bucs Training Facility Deal

When the Tampa Bay Buccaneers decided to use their own money to build a training facility, they left a lot of taxpayer dollars on the table.

That money – an estimated $11.6 million – is still sitting on the table, according to The Tampa Tribune – and now Temple Terrace city officials want their share back.

The city council recently voted unanimously to be reimbursed for Temple Terrace’s share of Community Investment Tax dollars that were set aside to help pay for the facility on West Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard. The investment tax is a half-cent sales tax that’s designed to generate revenue for community projects. The tax was approved by the county’s voters in 1996.

The Tampa Sports Authority has been holding the money in escrow, including the shares meant for Hillsborough County, Tampa and Plant City.

That money will now go back to the different local governments, The Tribune reports.

There’s a catch though: If the Bucs decide they need the money to improve the existing facility or for a new one, the city would have to give it back.

City Manager Kim Leinbach said taking the cash is a “calculated risk” that’s worth making.

What do you think, Temple Terrace? Should the city recoup its Community Investment Tax dollars or would it be smarter avoiding the risk? What should the city spend the money on? Share your thoughts in the comments section.