Hillsborough to hold workshop before vote on Rays stadium deal

• The Rays were reportedly gunning for a vote on a stadium deal on April 15, a timeline that worried commissioners and constituents alike.

Driving the news: Commissioner Joshua Wostal (R) had sought to compel county staff, the county attorney's office and the Tampa Sports Authority to release all draft documents and personal notes concerning the Rays deal.

• But after a curt back-and-forth between Wostal and county attorney Julia Mandell over whether the county even possesses documents that could be released, Commissioner Harry Cohen filed (D) a substitute motion.
• Cohen's motion to schedule a workshop on the proposed ballpark passed, 4-2, with Wostal and Commissioner Chris Boles (R) voting no and Commissioner Donna Cameron Cepeda (R) absent.

Meanwhile, Commissioner Gwen Myers' motion for the county attorney's office to review the language of the Community Investment Tax and whether it can be used to finance the Rays stadium passed, 5-1.

• Mandell said a review — which she suggested be handled by outside counsel — could be complete in time for the April 15 meeting.