County neighborhood group opposes public stadium financing

The Council of North County Neighborhoods voted last night to oppose public financing of a new waterfront stadium. Read the accompanying letter here.

First vice president John Miolla said the county can find a better use for the $5-million per year now paying off the debt on Tropicana Field. That money is coming from a 1 percent tax on hotel stays and cannot be used to fund general county programs or government services, but can pay for other tourism-related services. Some of the other hotel tax money is being used to pay for spring training baseball stadiums in Clearwater and Dunedin and on beach renourishment.

The 1 percent hotel tax is currently set to expire in 2015.

-- Aaron Sharockman, Times Staff Writer