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Hillsborough County Commissioners are not done with the Tampa Sports Authority (TSA) just yet, voting unanimously to take steps to escalate potential ethics concerns to Gov. Ron DeSantis and other officials.
The vote directs County Attorney Julia Mandell to gather records tied to Sports Authority board members and bring back draft letters that could flag concerns about potential conflicts of interest, financial disclosures and internal governance gaps to DeSantis, the State Attorney’s Office and the Sports Authority itself.
The move does not immediately accuse any Sports Authority member of wrongdoing nor send a formal complaint to Tallahassee, but it keeps pressure on the agency as questions mount over perceived conflicts of interest raised by a citizen.
The vote followed a legal report Miller requested earlier this month, after Commissioner Christine Miller asked attorneys to research whether Hillsborough County could remove one of its appointees to the Sports Authority before the end of a term.
The flare-up took place after the Sports Authority voted earlier this month to send local officials a written message emphasizing that Raymond James Stadium should remain the priority as the city and county continue public funding negotiations for a potential Tampa Bay Rays stadium.
Miller later said her initial question was meant as a warning that Sports Authority appointees should not favor one sports team over another.
Much of Wednesday’s discussion took place after Mandell informed board members that, in her legal opinion, she believes only DeSantis has the power to remove Sports Authority Members through executive action.
However, this time, she cited ethics concerns raised by a citizen.
Miller said Commissioners received an 11-page letter on June 10 from the citizen — whom Commissioner Joshua Wostal later identified as a lobbyist — alleging conflicts of interest involving four Sports Authority members regarding the Tampa Bay Rays new stadium deal currently under negotiation.
The resident claims some TSA members should be removed, alleging conflict of interest because of undisclosed property that could increase in value if the project was relocated to a more favorable location.
Meanwhile, Hillsborough County Chair Ken Hagan later presented a different viewpoint. He said the underlying issue driving the discussion is the Tampa Bay Rays ballpark debate, and added that he does not believe board members had done anything improper. He said he’s sure DeSantis is also already aware of TSA politics.
“I’m quite sure the TSA is already on his radar, and knowing his willingness to remove folks from office he really doesn’t need a letter from us to bring this to his attention,” Hagan said.
He also emphasized that the Sports Authority does not vote on the Tampa Bay Rays stadium deal.
“The reality is, the TSA has no say or vote on the Rays financial framework or definitive documents,” Hagan said. “The only bodies that will determine whether a financial agreement is approved is this board, the City Council, and the City Council sitting as the (Community Redevelopment Agency) board. That’s it.”
Nonetheless, Hagan said he supported moving forward with the review, warning that if local officials ignore governance concerns the Legislature could step in and rewrite the Sports Authority’s structure in a way that leaves the county and city paying the bills but with a lot less power.
That, Hagan said, is a “real concern of mine.”
The vote comes as the Tampa Sports Authority has already been under the spotlight in recent weeks, with DeSantis appointing Jennifer Collins to the board, members navigating uncertainty over the Rays’ stadium talks, and the agency facing calls from U.S. Sen. Rick Scott, U.S. Sen. Ashley Moody, former Gov. Charlie Crist and others to cancel planned Ye concerts at Raymond James Stadium over the artist’s antisemitic remarks.
The motion, seconded by Commissioner Chris Boles, directs the County Attorney’s Office to gather Sports Authority meeting minutes, financial disclosures, property records and business records, and to draft letters for the board to review before possible transmittal to DeSantis and other officials.
Miller said during Wednesday’s Hillsborough County meeting that a response from the Sports Authority’s General Counsel issued June 14 made clear that the agency does not have authority to censure, suspend or remove its own members or refer a matter to the Florida Commission on Ethics.
Miller argued lack of oversight leaves the county with little recourse other than asking the DeSantis administration to review the situation.
“We have a fiduciary responsibility to our taxpayers as a funding entity of the Tampa Sports Authority to ensure, before we send them another dollar, that they are acting in accordance with proper ethical standards and within the bounds of the law,” Miller said. “If nothing else, my question about removing members has led to further questions that warrant deeper investigation and new measures of transparency.”
Boles said he did not see harm in allowing an outside review.
“I don’t see any harm, because it’s not costing us anything,” Boles said. “At the very least, if we’re transparent about what’s going on, we have millions and millions of dollars that are invested that our TSA board, through our county, that we have to be good stewards with. I just don’t understand why there would be much pushback on this to see what happens.”
Miller said the move as an oversight step, not an accusation.
“We affirm today that this body isn’t leveling accusations, but we all agree this necessitates further review by constitutional officers who can take appropriate action,” Miller said.
Wostal opened by questioning Mandell’s opinion, arguing that case law may indicate that authority to remove appointees was granted to the board along with the authority to appoint them. Nonetheless, Wostal pushed back hardest against the effort.
He also called the broader review effort “wholly irresponsible,” saying the Sports Authority’s own attorney had already concluded there was no conflict of interest. Still, Wostal joined the unanimous vote after Commissioners clarified that the motion would not immediately send a letter to the Governor or the State Attorney.
Commissioner Harry Cohen said he had not yet seen anything in the correspondence about alleged conflicts of interest that gave him the same level of concern expressed by others. He said he would not vote against allowing a fellow Commissioner to work with the County Attorney’s Office and bring something back for further review.
“That does not mean that I’m going to ultimately support sending a letter,” Cohen said.
Cohen said he is more compelled by calls for the Sports Authority to review and strengthen its own policies. Commissioner Gwen Myers also asked whether the review could also include term limits for Sports Authority members.
No formal complaint is headed to Tallahassee yet, but Wednesday’s vote ensures the Sports Authority will have to answer, at least once more, for how it polices itself.
