Rays officials donated to City Council members

ST. PETERSBURG -- In the midst of secret discussions with city staff members over a proposed waterfront baseball stadium, Tampa Bay Rays officials quietly donated to the election campaigns of three City Council members.

Matthew Silverman, president of the Rays, and Michael Kalt, senior vice president of development and business affairs for the Rays, collectively contributed $1,250 that was split among the election campaigns of council members Jamie Bennett, Herb Polson and Earnest Williams.

The three men, along with the rest of the council, are set to vote Thursday on a proposal by the Rays to redevelop Tropicana Field into a retail and housing complex. The plan calls for tax dollars generated by the development to cover the cost of a new stadium at the site of Al Lang Field. The council on Thursday will decide whether to request development proposals from companies across the country.

Kalt and Silverman contributed to the campaigns of Polson, Bennett and Williams in September, two months before the team's stadium plans were made public. At the time, Polson and Bennett were running for re-election. Williams, a Democrat, is running for the District 55 state House seat now held by Rep. Frank Peterman Jr., who must step down because of term limits.

Bennett received $250 from Silverman. Williams and Polson received $250 each from Kalt and Silverman.

Polson, Williams and Bennett said they did not solicit the campaign contributions and that they first learned of the proposed stadium through the reports in the St. Petersburg Times. The contributions will  not influence their votes, they said.

- Cristina Silva, Times staff writer

Comments

[ED]

NOW IF THIS DOESN'T CONVINCE THE VOTERS AS TO WHAT IS GOING ON, NOTHING WILL!!

[Charlie]

Oh Please!

I'm sure Sembler and almost every developer gave them money too, but that doesn't mean they will approve every developer project that is in front of them. In fact Polson has already voted against Sembler.

Lots of different people give money to a candidate in hopes of having an easier time reaching the elected official when he's in office. You know... actually having a call returned vs. not.

It's not rocket science.

If I thought these candidate would have been so easily swayed I would not have supported them.

$250 when the limit is $500 doesn't really mean anything.

it really does not matter the size of the donation. what matters is how they vote! how can the city even think of spending more taxpayer money (because that is what will happen) to build a new stadium when schools need help, our police and fire departments need help and people in general are struggling to make ends meet! the trop site is not suitable for housing and retail. it just will not work. a shopping center near the trop off 9th street is failing. what makes the trop property any different?