Jax State Senator questions transparency in stadium funding process

The Florida Department of Economic Opportunity will not be ranking funding applications submitted for four sports venues across the state- and that’s causing some questions in Tallahassee.

Last year, lawmakers created a system whereby sports teams/cities seeking state funding for stadiums needed  to complete a formal bid for money. Based on the anticipated economic impact and other factors, the FL DEO would then rank the bids by which was most deserving of a limited pot of money. From there, lawmakers would have the final say on how it’s handed out.

This year, however, the DEO cites an exception in the law dealing with when the projects which would be funded began. The exception, according to a memo from the DEO, means they only have to ensure the bids are complete and do not have to rank them. The applications now also get pushed to the Legislative Budget Commission, rather than the full Legislature.

“They’re just passing the buck on a process that we instituted to create fairness,” says Jacksonville State Senator Audrey Gibson.

Gibson had questions back when this system was first created to make sure it would truly create a fair system that removed much of the subjectivity and lobbying that was being done. The concept was to enact a system that was transparent and would give lawmakers a better idea of the merit of a project.

“Now I really am very suspicious of the process and the transparency of the process- now there’s no ranking and I’m just not happy about that,” Gibson says.

She calls the decision by the DEO “appalling” and says she wants to look in to the implications this will have.

Florida House Speaker Steve Crisafulli and Senate President Andy Gardiner have asked a state economist to evaluate the bids and provide some kind of ranking. They didn’t directly comment on the DEO’s decision not to provide a ranking.

For the Jaguars and Jacksonville, the stakes are relatively high. The team has applied for $30 million over 30 years to, in part, fund renovations to the Club Level. The Jaguars President has previously told WOKV that without the funding- which the team is willing to completely front the bill for- the upgrades won't happen.

This comes a season after the world's largest video boards, along with new party decks and other signage around the stadium, were added to EverBank Field. Jags Owner Shad Khan is also expected to soon release his concept for redeveloping the Shipyards, which is a large, high-value, contaminated property near the stadium that is currently vacant.

It also coincides with a report from the Florida Office of Economic Development and Research that finds investing in sports venues doesn't have a very high return for the state.

WOKV will continue to track the latest on how your tax dollars are getting spent and the impact it has on Northeast Florida.