Rep. Richard Stark, D-Weston, objected to Avila’s bill Thursday, saying it would prevent local governments from deciding what projects they consider right for their communities.
“Taking this away from local communities is just another chipping away that we’ve had continually against home rule,” Stark said.
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Miami Heat, Orlando Magic, Tampa Bay Lightning, Florida Panthers, Miami Marlins, Jacksonville Jaguars and Tampa Bay Rays play in stadiums on publicly owned land. Also publicly owned land is used for all but one of the state’s Major League Baseball spring-training facilities.
Opposition to stadium funding has grown since a 2009 deal by Miami-Dade County to borrow about $400 million through bonds for Marlins Stadium that, according to projections, may come to a cost of more than $2.4 billion when the final payment is due in 2048.
But Rep. Wengay Newton, D-St. Petersburg, said Avila’s bill, combined with a House plan to eliminate economic-development incentives (HB 7005), “handcuffs the entire state.”
