Deep Something

I’d like to keep the Rays – I’d also like to see the whole bill

October 28, 2026 B. John 108 Views 0 Comments Tampa City Council, Tampa Bay Rays, stadium financing, Hillsborough College, Hillsborough County, taxpayer accountability

I want to keep the Rays, but I also want to know what we’re buying before the public gets stuck with a bill close to a billion dollars, and some assembly required. The City and County have promised about $876 million for construction, but borrowing costs, the full College relocation budget, and other public costs are still up in the air.

After going through agreements, financial projections, and more acronyms than I can count, I still haven’t found proof that this deal pays for itself. The possible benefits include a County-owned stadium and future tax revenue. But some important agreements are still missing or not easy to find, and the projections depend on the development actually happening. As my grandfather might have said, this feels like “hide the weeny.”

Based on what I know today, I’m a “no” on this deal. I’m open to changing my mind if officials can fill in the gaps, particularly around the full taxpayer cost and the impact of the property-tax amendment. Keeping the Rays is a good goal, but it deserves a deal the community can understand, with enough time to read the paperwork before somebody points to the signature line.

Business Economy Featured Politics County Commission

Who Is Building Stacy Hahn’s Campaign?

October 14, 2026 B. John 169 Views 0 Comments real estate, Tampa Bay Rays, political contributions, responsible growth, Hillsborough County Commission, Campaign Finance, development interests, Stacy Hahn

This entry is in the series 2026 Elections

Campaign finance reports rarely contain a smoking gun. Mostly, they contain checks—and Stacy Hahn’s reports include many from industries most affected by County Commission decisions. At least $63,850, or about 38% of her total contributions, came from construction, development, real estate, engineering, and architecture interests.

There is also the Tampa Bay Rays’ new ownership group. After Commissioner Donna Cameron Cepeda questioned public funding for a new stadium, more than $40,000 was donated by Rays owners and related companies to Hahn, her Republican primary opponent. It seems all those builders and developers decided on their own that Hillsborough County really needed Hahn on the Commission. Sometimes, civic enthusiasm spreads quickly.

Legal contributions do not prove corruption. But campaign money is not charity, either. With roads crowded, schools full, and neighborhoods often asked to make way for new projects, voters should ask a simple question: Can Hillsborough County afford more development-at-any-cost government, and who is paying for it?