Pinellas County commissioners are getting set to vote on transforming Tropicana Field into what could become the biggest development project in the county's history. But some county officials aired concerns about where the money will come from.
The county is being asked to fund $312 million over the life of the project. It would come mainly from tourist development — or bed — taxes - levied on hotel rooms.
County Administrator Barry Burton allayed concerns during a commission workshop Thursday that taking the money out would impact how much is available to restore the county's eroded beaches.
He said there's enough money to do both.
"We have record tourism dollars. We have record reserves in those dollars. So, that is a discussion we need to have about how much we put down in cash versus issuing bonds," Burton told commissioners. "When we did the model, we said if we do all of the beach nourishment on our own, we had more than enough money to be able to do that and still fund up all of our capital obligations and have money for unpredictable storms."
Commissioner Dave Eggers said he wanted some more time to digest the impact the decision would have on the county's finances.
"I told Barry (Burton) that if I felt rushed today for this vote on Tuesday, I'm a no, I, I don't wanna be rushed. I don't think we need to be rushed," he said. "This is our time to make sure that we're clear on what the ramifications of the stadium deal are, how they're interacting with the development deal. Even though we don't sign documents, the whole deal is contingent one on the other."
Commissioners are set to vote on the plan Tuesday, a week after the St. Petersburg City Council gave its okay to build a new stadium for the Tampa Bay Rays.
