Hillsborough County wants to seek state review of Tampa Sports Authority stadium vote

TAMPA, Fla. - Hillsborough County commissioners are weighing whether to ask Gov. Ron DeSantis to review potential ethics concerns involving members of the Tampa Sports Authority after a contentious sports board vote sparked intense allegations of self-dealing.

Tampa sports ethics review

What we know:

The controversy centers on a June 2 vote by the Tampa Sports Authority urging local leaders to prioritize Raymond James Stadium upgrades over a new home for the Tampa Bay Rays. It prompted a local attorney and registered state lobbyist to send a letter to TSA, claiming four board members stood to benefit if the new baseball stadium plans collapsed.

Board member conflict allegations

The backstory:

The targeted stadium site sits on the Dale Mabry campus of Hillsborough College. The local attorney argued the four board members should have recused themselves immediately and resigned from their seats.

Local officials debate action

What they're saying:

Commissioner Christine Miller stated she felt a strong responsibility to pass the details to a governing body equipped to investigate.

"I've spent a great deal of time thinking about how I would approach this item and not without prayers, scouring legal documents, unsolicited inputs from all walks, anonymous texts from people too afraid to speak out publicly, and even weighing if this fight was worth it because of the dire warnings of what speaking out would mean to my own future," Miller said.

Conversely, Commissioner Joshua Wostal slammed the decision, calling the county's intervention "wholly irresponsible."

"Their own legal counsel has already said that, 'hey, we don't believe that there was a conflict of interest,'" Wostal said.

Commissioner Ken Hagan, meanwhile, questioned whether the Tampa Sports Authority's vote would have any impact on a future stadium agreement.

"The only bodies that will determine whether a financial agreement is approved is this board, the city council, and the city councils sitting as a CRA board. That's it. So regardless of what TSA board members have said or how they voted, TSA cannot impact a potential deal," Hagan said.

Legal counsel denies violations

The other side:

The general counsel for the sports authority issued a sharp defense, writing that the board members did not violate ethics laws. The attorney asserted that recusal was completely unwarranted, and the board members were legally required to vote.

Commission votes on letters

What's next:

County staff members are currently drafting two letters to outline these concerns to the governor and the sports authority. Commissioners must review and approve the final drafts at a future meeting before anything is sent.

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