Miami's mayor said Wednesday that the city must pay $250,000 annually for the maintenance of the new Marlins stadium, a fee which came as a surprise for officials.
Mayor Tomas Regalado said the contract for the $650 million new facility was drawn up by the former administration, who was "anxious to get on a stadium."
"I am also concerned because in that same contract the city has to remit a quarter of a million dollars every year for the maintenance of the stadium we do not own or operate. This is a bad contract that has become a nightmare," Regalado said.
Last week, it became clear the city may have to pay as much as $2 million in property taxes to the county because they are leasing the stadium's individual parking spots in the garage to the Marlins. The county claims since the Marlins are leasing, the parking facilities are private enterprise therefore taxable. The city spent $100 million to build the 5,700-spot garage for the stadium.
But Regalado, who wasn't for the stadium from the beginning, said the city may take legal action against that.
"We will if we have to challenge this in court because we believe it is public money not private," he told NBC Miami.
The Marlins said they have no comment.
