Hillsborough County will hold a Rays Stadium workshop this afternoon to consider the funding MOU submitted by the team last week. You can watch the proceedings starting at 1:30 PM.
The workshop is largely for commissioners to gather more information, which means it will also be the public’s best opportunity as well. Remember that Florida’s Sunshine Law means the County can’t have any meetings in private, so this kind of info gathering and discussion happens “in the sunshine.”
Ahead of the meeting both
the Rays and the Governor interestingly seem to be adding pressure for the County as well.
CEO Ken Babby authored the letter that — for the first time, since the new ownership group took over — includes a threat that not meeting the team’s funding requirements could result in the team leaving the area, including key statements like, “Should this commitment ultimately not be achievable, we would have no choice but to evaluate alternatives…” and “Failure to meet these timelines risks the loss of critical state funding for Hillsborough College, which would render the deal economically infeasible.”
Similarly, Governor Ron DeSantis has also put his thumb even further on the scale, posting to social media to add further support:
