Jane Castor thanks the county commission for approving the Rays ballpark agreement
Jane CastorMayor of Tampa, in a social media post quoted by WUSF
After the county vote, Castor thanks commissioners for their partnership and says the agreement means jobs, investment and a destination for the region, adding that Tampa is going to deliver.
“I want to thank the county commission for their partnership and for seeing what this agreement means for our region, jobs, investment, and for a destination our entire community can be proud of”
Reporting

Where this statement fits
Tampa Sports Authority puts Raymond James Stadium first as Hillsborough County and Tampa commit public money to a Rays ballpark
Hillsborough County commissioners voted 5-2 on August 28, 2026, to approve agreements for a $2.3 billion Tampa Bay Rays ballpark on Hillsborough College's Dale Mabry campus, a day after the Tampa City Council approved its part 4-3. The county committed up to $796 million and the city $80 million; the Rays are to pay more than $1.3 billion and any cost overruns. In June, the Tampa Sports Authority, which runs Raymond James Stadium across the road, wrote to the county that any Rays deal must also account for the stadium's upkeep and for the renovations the Buccaneers want as part of talks on extending their lease. On November 10, after voters approved Amendment 3, which reduces the property taxes available to local governments, commissioners took the first funding steps 5-2.
Source and context
Reporting
About this source
WUSF report on the county commission's 5-2 approval of the Rays ballpark agreements, a day after the Tampa City Council approved its part 4-3, with remarks by commissioners and Mayor Jane Castor.
Archived copy (opens in a new tab)Before the quotation
WUSF reports that Tampa Mayor Jane Castor praised the commissioners.
After the quotation
Castor adds that Tampa fought for this opportunity and is going to deliver.
How this statement is classified
The label describes this statement's response within the context above.
Why this label?
Castor praises the approval of the agreement and the benefits she expects from it, which defends the deal.
- Recorded on
- Published here
More from this case
Read the full caseJoshua Wostal says the ballpark deal "was not drafted with Amendment 3 in mind"
“The factual reality is that this deal was not drafted with Amendment 3 in mind; this $103 million or so of property taxes could absolutely be used to stabilize the county's finances as they figure out how to manage the passage of Amendment 3”Read statement
Joshua Wostal says sales-tax money promised to residents is going to the Rays ballpark
“This is money that was dedicated and promised and marketed to the community in 2024 that we would prioritize their needs over other people's wants”Read statement
Harry Cohen says the ballpark will show a worldwide audience "the place I want to be"
“We've shown that we can win championships in this community ... And when we do, and when the network television cameras pan over Hillsborough County and they look over the sun setting over the bay, and a worldwide television audience sees this community, you know what they're gonna say to themselves? That's the place I want to be.”Read statement
Share or embed this statement
The embed keeps its attribution link to The Dispute Index. Credit the image to The Dispute Index and link to the statement page.
Cite this record
- Publisher
- The Dispute Index
- Title
- Jane Castor thanks the county commission for approving the Rays ballpark agreement
- First published
- Last updated
- Permalink
- https://disputeindex.com/events/8948-after-the-county-vote-castor-thanks-commissioners-for
Last updated marks the most recent saved version of this published statement.
The Dispute Index. "Jane Castor thanks the county commission for approving the Rays ballpark agreement". First published: 2026-11-14. Last updated: 2026-11-14. https://disputeindex.com/events/8948-after-the-county-vote-castor-thanks-commissioners-for