Part 2/5:
The vote, originally scheduled for last Tuesday, had been delayed, and the representative was unsure if the Rays still had the necessary support. Two new council members had been elected, both of whom were opposed to public financing for the stadium. This added an extra layer of uncertainty to the proceedings.
The representative recalled the influence of a "badger" - a Miami-Dade commissioner who had consistently voted against such deals, no matter the circumstances. With this political landscape, the future of baseball in Tampa Bay seemed increasingly uncertain.