BRADENTON, Fla. — The Florida Legislature ended its regular session on Friday without passing a bill for the Marlins to get a $60 million state sales tax rebate to help with the bond financing of a $490 million retractable roof baseball stadium.
The House passed the Marlins’ rebate bill but it failed to reach the Senate floor, making it the sixth year the Major League Baseball team couldn’t pitch the idea to lawmakers.
After the legislative session ended, Miami and Miami-Dade County and officials said they would continue to try to work on a solution. The Marlins also released a statement saying they would continue to try to work on a solution but offered no specifics.
“We are very disappointed that the Florida state Legislature was unable to assist Miami-Dade County, the city of Miami, and the Florida Marlins in their desire to spur economic development through the construction of a new baseball-only, retractable-roof facility in Miami,” the team said. “Starting immediately, we will all begin the process of moving forward to attempt to secure the future of baseball in South Florida.”
Under the proposed funding agreement, the Marlins pledged to provide $45 million in cash and private financing and $165 million in rent. Miami-Dade County would contribute $162 million from tourist bed taxes, and the city of Miami would contribute $108 million of tourist bed taxes.
The state sales tax rebate would have provided the remaining $30 million needed. With financing costs over 30 years, the rebate would be an estimated $60 million.
Ballpark supporters have suggested that the rebate might be considered during a special session of the Legislature that starts June 12. The special session is to work on property tax relief measures that lawmakers could not agree on during the regular session.
The issue of property tax relief fed debate during the regular session — and most likely undermined the Marlins’ bill — about whether the state should be giving a tax rebate to a professional baseball team that pays its players millions.
