08/24/2026
As we head toward Thursday’s vote on the Rays stadium agreement, I wanted to revisit some of the comments I made during our first vote in May on the non-binding MOU.
My position then and my approach now have been consistent: this is about more than baseball. It’s about what this opportunity could mean for our communities and whether we can ensure meaningful, enforceable benefits for Tampa residents.
I’ve continued asking questions, listening to constituents across District 5, those who support the project and those who have concerns, and reviewing the details closely.
The questions I raised in May remain important to me: truly affordable and attainable housing, quality jobs and opportunities for our youth, living wages, opportunities for small and minority-owned businesses, youth sports and programming, and the possible extension of the East Tampa CRA as we consider how this opportunity could create broader, equitable investment in our communities.
I’m sharing my remarks from May as a reminder of where I stood then and the issues I’ve continued to examine.
I encourage everyone to read the documents for yourself. I have been reading through them, asking questions, and talking with constituents, and I believe our community deserves the opportunity to do the same.
I’ll continue to do my due diligence, ask the tough questions, listen to our community, and do my best to make decisions based on what is best for our residents, our city, and our future.
