Tampa Mayor Jane Castor said her frustration over last week's city council votes tied to a proposed Tampa Bay Rays stadium had little to do with political sparring and everything to do with actions she believed threatened the city's role in negotiations.
“There is no infighting. If there's any kind of fighting, that's a one-way deal," Castor told podcast host J.P. Peterson on Monday. “I often joke that I'm probably the least political politician that you'll ever meet.”
Castor, speaking during a fishing vacation in the Keys, sounded far less annoyed that she appeared in a harsh social media post Friday, when she contended some council members “were clearly intent on killing the plan before negotiations are done.”
At stake is the city's role in the $2.3 billion ballpark and surrounding $8 billion privately funded mixed-use district, slated for Drew Park land now used by Hillsborough College.
The mayor’s staff has represented the city in talks with Hillsborough County on a nonbinding memorandum of understanding covering $976 million for the stadium project.
It's beyond frustrating that as city and county leaders are working tirelessly to hammer out an equitable deal to bring the Rays to Tampa, City Council members want to halt our efforts in their tracks.https://t.co/66t1m66lA5
— Jane Castor (@JaneCastor) July 24, 2026
Castor explained that her rare rebuke centered on two actions she believed sent the wrong message to the county and Rays.
The first removed a vote from the Community Redevelopment Agency’s Aug. 20 meeting on the MOU, which includes investing $100 million in property tax growth from the Drew Park CRA. The second rejected a routine transfer of land-use changes for the site to the state for review.
ALSO READ: Two city council decisions cloud Tampa's role in Rays' ballpark proposal
“Nonbinding means we just want you to agree to further investigate and deliberate on the proposals. And to have council members vote no on that – basically saying we don't want to hear about any deal that is put together to keep the Rays in Tampa – is frustrating,” Castor said.
Castor viewed both votes as part of the normal vetting process rather than decisions committing the city to the project.
“I mean that (land-use) vote was to say we want to send it to the state, and then they will weigh in and then they'll send it back to us. So, to vote no straight out of the gate before we can even get a deal done, that's where my frustration comes in,” she said.
In response to Castor’s social media criticism, Councilman Bill Carlson posted a series of tweets blaming the mayor and her administration for the setbacks. For months, he has demanded that council members get more input in the talks.
“I think a couple of council members said they've got no issue,” said Castor, adding that the city’s negotiators have been available to them “at every turn.” Among them are council Chair Alan Clendenin, who posted reasons he supports the project in a lengthy Facebook post Monday.
“The Rays talk to them on a regular basis," Castor said. "So, I don't know where that, ‘We don't know what's going on’ is coming from other than … political motivation. But that's just not me. I don't get involved in that."
Castor explained that the divide was largely a product of the city’s strong mayor form of government.
ALSO READ: Rays open dialogue with Tampa City Council after stadium votes spark mayor’s backlash
“The mayor runs the administration, the city portion of it, and council is sort of the legislative branch – making ordinances, land use, zoning, all of those. They can veto anything that I present and vice versa. … I don't really get in their lane.”
Castor said the system has worked well for decades.
“If you think about it, say it's just the average citizen, you don't want to have council crafting a deal that they're then going to vote on. Same way with the county,” she said. “The county administrator is crafting the deal with her team, and then it would be presented to the county commission, but there's nothing that says that they can't weigh in throughout the process. But the ultimate proposal will be presented to them for voting.”
Hours after the vote, Rays CEO Ken Babby reached out to Carlson and pledged to meet individually with each council member to discuss the negotiations. A more optimistic Carlson said that should help move financing talks to a conclusion.
ALSO READ: What is a CRA? And why does it matter in the Rays' stadium debate?
Castor said her concern extends beyond the stadium itself. The financing agreement will include several community benefits provided by the Rays, including workforce development, youth career programs and investment in surrounding neighborhoods.
“All of the things that we could get for our first responders,” she said. “We could get parks and recreation. All of those opportunities will be lost for the city if we're cut out of these negotiations.”
Castor said she is optimistic the city, county and Rays will see the deal through.
“As I've said all along, we need to keep the Rays in Tampa Bay, and that's what we are,” she said. “That's our goal each and every day.”
