The Super Bowl has ended, but that hasn’t quieted the talks of where the next big game will be housed in 2016 and 2017.
Recently, the Miami Dolphins and the Miami-Dade Mayor Carlos Gimenez have announced that they are placing the future of upgrades to Sun Life Stadium in the hands of the voters. The reason being that local tax dollars will be used to fund the upgrades. Under the current plan hotel taxes will raise from 6% to 7%. Also, legislation will need to be passed to receive state funding for the stadium upgrades.
A few Miami-Dade county commissionershave called upon Dolphins owner Stephen Ross to pay for the special election. The estimated cost for the special election is approximately four million dollars. While law prohibits a private company from funding special elections, Miami-Dade can be reimburse indirectly.
Mayor Gimenez has suggested that the NFL must be awarded the Super Bowl as a condition for spending county tax dollars, hotel taxes, on Sun Life Stadium.
“I don’t want to be eligible for anything,” Gimenez said. “I’d like to see the results, and actually land something.”
The NFL did not like the idea of awarding the Super Bowl to South Florida with out the guarantee of upgrades to the stadium. The 2016 Super Bowl is a big economic prize for South Florida not only due to the bump from visitors and the money they spend. The 2016 Super Bowl will mark the 50th anniversary of the annual showdown.