Dolphins Failed Stadium Bid Cost Nearly $10 Million
MIAMI (CBSMiami/NSF) – The Miami Dolphins failed bid to get county voters and state lawmakers to sign off on using tax dollars to pay for renovations to Sun Life Stadium cost the team and owner Stephen Ross approximately $10 million.
The Dolphins agreed to pay a non-refundable $4.8 million to ask Miami-Dade County voters to allow hotel bed tax money to be used for planned renovations to Sun Life Stadium, while the team's political action committee, Friends of Miami First, spent $4.49 million between April 1 and Friday, according to CBS4 news partner The Miami Herald.
"That total does not include expenses that do not have to be reported because they were not part of the election campaign, including lobbyist and public-relations consultant fees incurred before county commissioners agreed to hold the referendum," the Herald reported.
The May 14 referendum became a non-issue as the legislative session ended May 3 without the House taking up measures tied to funding proposals involving the Dolphins, Jacksonville Jaguars, Orlando's Major League Soccer push and the Daytona International Speedway.
The Miami Herald and the News Service of Florida contributed to this report.
