Many Hillsborough County residents say a new Tampa Bay Rays ballpark could bring jobs and community pride, but they are skeptical about public financing with a widespread belief they have been left out of the process, according to a new survey.
The survey of registered voters, released Wednesday, comes as local governments weigh contributing nearly $1 billion in subsidies for the stadium and voters prepare for a broader property tax ballot question that could sidetrack the plan.
The results were compiled by researchers at Florida State University and San Jose State University using the responses of 612 active voters, with about a third living in three ZIP codes nearest the proposed Hillsborough College site in Tampa’s Drew Park neighborhood…