Hillsborough County commissioners approve MOU negotiations for ballpark, fund sewer conversion and adopt multiple resolutions

Hillsborough County commissioners on May 20 voted to authorize county staff to pursue additional negotiations under a nonbinding memorandum of understanding with the Tampa Bay Rays, the City of Tampa and the City of Tampa Community Redevelopment Agency on definitive agreements for a proposed new ballpark and related redevelopment.

The board’s action, described in meeting remarks, authorizes staff to negotiate terms addressing construction, funding, ownership, use and long-term maintenance of the facility on a site identified in the meeting transcript as the Hillsborough College Del Mavry campus. “Approval of the nonbinding MOU does not change the county's current budget nor create binding future commitments,” the meeting recap stated.

Why it matters: The MOU steps are an early, nonbinding phase that let county staff explore deal terms with city and private partners. County officials and community stakeholders will watch negotiations for details on financing, land use and long-term maintenance obligations.

Votes at a glance - Nonbinding MOU to pursue ballpark negotiations (partners: Tampa Bay Rays, City of Tampa, City of Tampa CRA): approved by a majority of commissioners; specific vote tally not specified in the transcript. - Up to $317,100 for Brandon Sports and Aquatic Center Inc. (d/b/a High 5 Inc.) to convert septic to the county central sewer system: approved; amount specified in the meeting recap. - Resolution expanding the geographic boundary of the county seat to include all lands within Hillsborough County: adopted. - Resolutions updating qualifications for the red light camera ordinance and school zone speed enforcement ordinance and authorization to appoint Florida Bar attorneys as local hearing officers: adopted. - Resolution revising the county’s cremation, dissection and burial-at-sea ordinance to broaden fee-authority for departments and authorize the VLCC to establish a fee schedule: adopted.

Other details and context: The board declared May 2026 as Problem Solving Court Month to recognize the 13th Judicial Circuit’s problem-solving courts and also declared May 2026 as Asian Pacific American Heritage Month. Commissioners declared May 17–23 as Emergency Medical Services Week.

The board approved up to $317,100 to help Brandon Sports and Aquatic Center Inc., a nonprofit doing business as High 5 Inc., convert septic systems to the county-owned central sewer system. The recap described High 5 as offering after-school, athletic, aquatic and recreational programs.

The meeting also included administrative resolutions: updates to enforcement ordinances for red light cameras and school-zone speed enforcement, and authorization to appoint attorneys in good standing with the Florida Bar to serve as local hearing officers and receive compensation. Commissioners adopted a resolution broadening the scope of the county’s cremation, dissection and burial-at-sea ordinance to allow the VLCC to set fees for certain department services; the transcript notes a VLCC meeting scheduled for Wednesday, June 3 at 9 a.m.

The meeting recap was delivered by Demores of His for Accounting Communications and Indigenous Media. The full meeting video and materials are available via Hillsborough County channels; the recap directed listeners to hcfl.gov for more information.

What’s next: The MOU approval lets staff continue negotiations with city and private partners; no binding agreements were authorized at the May 20 meeting. The transcript did not record exact vote tallies for the listed approvals. The VLCC meeting was scheduled for June 3.