The Pinellas County Commissioners approve bonds necessary for the Tampa Bay Rays stadium deal.After two previous delays and weeks of tumultuous discord between the county and the Rays, commissioners approved the bonds in a 5-to-2 vote.Some commissioners had questioned the Rays commitment to the deal after team leaders made conflicting comments over the past few weeks about the deals status and perceived cost overruns.It was unsurprising to see the Commissioners acknowledge how important the Tampa Bay Rays and our stadium development agreement are to this community and its citizens. As we have made clear, the County's delay has caused the ballpark's completion to slide into 2029. As a result, the cost of the project has increased significantly, and we cannot absorb this increase alone. When the County and City wish to engage, we remain ready to solve this funding gap together, said Tampa Bay Rays President Matt Silverman.The contract also includes protections that are favorable to the county. Even though the county approved the bonds Tuesday, the bonds arent issued until Rays hit certain milestones. And, when construction starts, the Rays funds are spent first.Chris Latvala, whose frustration delayed the vote weeks ago, joined Dave Eggers, Ren Flowers, Brian Scott, and Kathleen Peters in voting yes.