TAMPA, Fla. — Jane Castor, Tampa's former police chief who is now running to be the city's next mayor, says she believes a new Rays stadium will be built in Tampa, but the idea of devoting property tax dollars to pay for it is something she's not willing to commit to right now.
Castor, the city's first woman police chief and first openly gay one, made her candidacy official on Thursday following months of speculation.
While not yet providing specifics on her platform, Castor says it's focused on providing better transportation, building a stronger economy and stronger neighborhoods, and continuing to foster development.
No doubt, luring a new Rays stadium across the bay and figuring out how to pay for it will fall on the city's next mayor. In February, the Tampa Bay Rays announced Ybor City as their preferred relocation site from their current stadium, Tropicana Field, in downtown St. Petersburg.
"I have met with a number of individuals involved in the Rays initiative, but the Rays are a great asset in our community and Tampa Bay can’t afford to lose the Rays," Castor told 10News. "We’re going to have to come up with a solution that the community — and by solution, we’re really talking about a stadium — has to be on board with."
Asked if the Rays should be in Tampa, Castor said: "I think they're going to come to Tampa, yes."
Last month, 10Investigates obtained records detailing Hillsborough County’s secret discussions with the Tampa Bay Rays showing how the county is going about trying to raise public funds for construction on what could require more than $300 million in taxpayer funds.
A new Rays stadium could cost upwards of $600 million, and Rays owner Stu Sternberg’s initial offer in public negotiations has only been $150 million. That could leave taxpayers on the hook for more than $450 million, although most sports business observers expect Sternberg to ultimately offer more.
But the idea of dedicating property tax dollars to pay for a new stadium is something Castor did not commit to right now.
"That’s down the road, those are things that we’ll talk about, and I’m not sure there’s an appetite with taxpayers to build stadiums," Castor said. "I believe that train’s left the station."
The field of candidates includes former Hillsborough County Commissioner Ed Turanchik, Tampa City Council member Harry Cohen, businessman Topher Morrison and Michael Hazard, according to the Tampa Bay Times.
Here's the full interview transcript:
JOSH: How does it feel to finally have it official after so much speculation?
JANE: I know. You know, it’s just so exciting to officially be a candidate for mayor of this great city. Especially knowing that I grew up here in Tampa, spent my whole adult life in Seminole Heights and spent 31 years patrolling every inch of this city. I don’t think there’s anybody that knows Tampa more than I do and I don’t feel I could be any more prepared than I am right now to again be a part of Tampa and all the great things we’re about to experience.
On her lack of political experience
JOSH: Let’s talk about preparation. Obviously, yes, you’ve spent your entire life here, a police chief dabbles in politics, it requires some political maneuvering …
JANE: (laughs) A little bit.
JOSH: But as far as actually being in the political arena, this is your first foray.
JANE: Well you know, that’s a great question because I feel like I’m prepared to run this city. I ran the largest department in our city with 1,300 employees, but far the largest budget — $145 million — and I’m not sure that you could face many more crises as a mayor than you do as a police chief. So I’ve led through a number of events and shown my ability in that area but the one area that is sort of fresh ground for me and a learning experience is the political aspect of it. I don’t really consider myself a political individual. I just try to do the right things for the right reasons.
JOSH: Not being a political individual, is that an advantage or disadvantage?
JANE: You know, I’d like to see it as an advantage. I’m sure there’ll be plenty of times it’s a disadvantage but people want to hear the truth, even if it’s not what they want to hear, they want to know that you’re doing what is in the best interest of the community, what’s in the best interest of our citizens.
On her vision for the city
JOSH: Certainly anyone who wants to have a job as the head of a city has got to have some type of grand vision.
JANE: Yes. Mm-hmm.
JOSH: What does that look like for you?
JANE: One is maintaining the foundation that’s in place right now. Something near and dear to my heart is strengthening the neighborhoods, making sure every single member of our community is a part of and is able to feel the success ... and then continuing to grow a strong economy, looking at transportation, that's an issue. We need reliable and responsible solutions. Things that will allow people to get to their jobs and not be stuck in the quagmires that seem to be growing every day out on our roadways. And then also, looking at workforce and affordable housing initiatives are very important. And lastly, continue the thoughtful growth and development that’s been put in place in our city.
JOSH: Since you mention transportation, I’ll go there first. The county won’t approve rail, so what do you really envision as addressing some of those issues?
JANE: Well, there are a lot of things we can do on the local level. Clearly there are some great ideas out there — transportation solutions — the one obvious element that’s missing is the funding for all of that so those are issues that have to be dealt with more on a global, Bay area issue. But there are a lot of things we can do just in the city of Tampa that will be able to ease the transportation burden for our citizens. So those are the types of things I’m going to look at to put into place in our city that will be, maybe not immediate, but in the foreseeable future will help our community.
On bringing the Rays to Tampa
JOSH: One of the things I imagine will, no doubt, consume whomever the next mayor is, will be the Rays stadium…
JANE: The only thing I’ll say about that right now is that, and I have met with a number of individuals involved in the Rays initiative, but the Rays are a great asset in our community and Tampa Bay can’t afford to lose the Rays so we’re going to have to come up with solution that the community — and by solution we’re really talking about a stadium — has to be on board with. But I want the Rays to stay here in the Tampa Bay area.
JOSH: Should they be in Tampa though?
JANE: I think they’re going to come to Tampa, yes.
JOSH: Is that going to require the city commit property tax dollars to get that stadium built here?
JANE: That’s down the road. Those are things that we’ll talk about, I’m not sure there’s an appetite with taxpayers to build stadiums. I believe that train’s left the station but the specifics of that we’re going to have to deal with down the road.
JOSH: So you would not support the idea of the city committing property tax dollars?
JANE: That’s something we’ll have to address down the road. But I don’t think the taxpayers are ready to build another stadium in Tampa.
On the controversial red light camera program
JOSH: You were tasked with managing the red light camera program, which was controversial. Would you make any changes to that program if you were elected mayor?
JANE: No. My position on the red light cameras; in 31 years I saw so many people die in traffic accidents needlessly because they’re in a hurry. I put resources out and we analyzed all the high-traffic intersections and that’s where we put our officers to write citations. People would obey for a week while officers were there and then they’d go right back. If you put a red light camera in the intersection then people get used to that and they stop when the light turns red. My position to people who disagree with red-light citations is: don’t run a red light.
On controversial program which targeted black bicyclists for minor violations
JOSH: The term ‘biking while black’ is a term that was coined under your watch and unfortunately has remained part of the legacy of your time as chief, your view on that policy now in hindsight … do you regret that it happened?
JANE: No I don’t … what that initiative, while I was chief, we were able to reduce crime dramatically in our city and we did that through a partnership with the citizens, working hand-in-hand. We also employed a variety and number of initiatives to reduce crime, most of which were very successful, some of them were not. The bicycling citations were done with good intentions. Unfortunately, the result was is that it caused tension in the very neighborhoods we were working to make safer. In hindsight, I wouldn’t do that initiative again.
JOSH: What is the biggest thing, if you could pinpoint in Tampa, we could do better?
JANE: I think that what we do well as a city but we must continue to focus on is making sure that every single citizen is part of the success and the prosperity that we have realized and continue to realize in our city.
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