Despite last-minute negotiations, stadium proponents failed to gain enough support from the legislative leadership to win final debate on one proposal to finance stadium construction with a portion of the annual sales tax collected by the team and another plan to use proceeds from countywide parking surcharge fees.
Neither Miami-Dade Mayor Alex Penelas nor Miami Mayor Joe Carollo succeeded in an eleventh-hour bid to convince either leadership in the state Senate or the House of Representatives to consider a revised plan that would have dramatically altered the proposal to use the sales tax proceeds, legislative insiders tell GlobeSt.com.
The sales-tax proposal found strong opposition in the Senate, where Senate President John M. McKay (R-Bradenton) openly criticized the proposal as having a negative impact on state revenue. Nor did House Speaker Tom Feeney (R-Oviedo) consider the proposed financing plan a priority item.
It appears the defeat could have a negative impact on the future of major league baseball in South Florida. John W. Henry, Marlins chairman, and baseball commissioner Bud Selig have publicly argued the franchise cannot survive operating as just a tenant at Pro Player Stadium.
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