Major League Baseball

Senate Appropriations Chair Ed Hooper said the money won't be set until local financing agreements are a "done deal," and lawmakers needs something more concrete than this week's approved MOU.

With a tense 4-3 vote, the city approved the non-binding agreement, allowing negotiations to continue on building the ballpark. But council members still have several concerns.

The tentative agreement, finalized last week by the team, county and city, details financing for the $2.3 billion indoor stadium that would anchor a multiuse development in Drew Park.

On "Florida Matters Live & Local," Joshua Wostal explains his skepticism of the plan, how it's being presented, promises that taxpayers won't be exposed and the team's transparency.

About $150 million sought to rebuild Hillsborough College isn't in the first spending offers. Budget committee Chair Ed Hooper, R-Clearwater, says the state won't act until stadium financing is complete.

Boggs, who finished his Hall of Fame baseball career with the Devil Rays, threw out a ceremonial first pitch before Friday's Boston-Tampa Bay game at Fenway Park.

Joshua Wostal tells WDAE the county is investigating nearly 3,000 emails sent to commissioners from one IP address in Los Angeles. He also questions whether the Rays have the financing to avoid taxpayer risk.

The Battery Atlanta's mixed-use development hasn’t been able to pay off Cobb County's $300 million subsidy, casting doubt on the Rays' similar strategy to cover a billion-dollar ask of taxpayers, writes an economist and lifelong Braves fan.

The team said it remains committed to a 2029 opening but pushed back on Hillsborough officials' requests for stronger financial guarantees and earlier private funding disclosures.

Despite a Rays warning that changing the timeline would jeopardize the project, the team says it's working "diligently" on a response to the county's list of 14 unresolved conditions.

Commissioner Ken Hagan tells WDAE existing restricted revenues can fund most of the county's share, but critics of the plan say taxpayers are still exposed through reserves and emergency dollars.

The proposal comes after weeks of negotiations with local officials but has not been vetted by public boards. It lays out ambitious economic projections to recoup the upfront investment.