County agrees to take ownership of the Trop

It was a 6-1 vote after calls for hatchet-burying between the county and St. Petersburg. The deal saves the city about $1.4-million in taxes.

By LISA GREENE, Times Staff Writer
© St. Petersburg Times
published October 16, 2002

CLEARWATER -- Tropicana Field could belong to Pinellas County as early as this week after county commissioners agreed Tuesday to take ownership of the stadium.

The 6-1 vote came after commissioners called for more cooperation between the city of St. Petersburg and the county, and for an end to lingering tension over the original building of the dome.

The county will not operate the dome, and the city has promised it will not incur any costs because of the decision. But the county's move will save city residents $1.4-million in property taxes on the dome.

"We should remember those 250,000 residents are residents of Pinellas County," said County Commissioner Ken Welch. "We need to get over the dome and its history and its location."

The city asked the county to take ownership of the stadium after a 2001 Florida Supreme Court decision said that city-owned sports arenas used by for-profit teams must pay property tax.

Most commissioners agreed with Welch. They said it amounted to double taxation to have St. Petersburg residents pay property taxes to the county on their homes, then pay city taxes to cover property taxes on the dome.

But Commission Chairman Barbara Sheen Todd said the county risks being sued by taking ownership, even though the city has agreed to pay any such costs. She also said county commissioners agreed years ago not to take ownership, and that the county should not undercut the Supreme Court decision.

Todd also said the city should ask the Tampa Bay Devil Rays to contribute to the payments.

"I think it's bad public policy," she said. "We are exempting a private entity from taxation."

City officials say the city's contract with the Devil Rays doesn't require the team to pay the tax.

St. Petersburg Mayor Rick Baker praised the commission's decision. He also said city officials will work hard on cooperating with county officials.

"We're not going to agree on everything, but we'll continue to work together," he said.

The City Council is expected to approve a final version of the agreement Thursday. Then lawyers could close the deal Friday.

Also Tuesday, commissioners passed a resolution supporting the purchase of the Sunshine Speedway. The county and the Florida Department of Transportation want to buy the 112-acre site, south of Ulmerton Road, to build a connector from the Bayside Bridge to 118th Avenue N, then to I-275.

Commissioners also agreed to have the county do a real estate appraisal of the land, which is estimated to cost about $20-million. County and state officials plan to ask for federal funding to buy the land.

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