J. ROBERT ROWE, Appellant, v. PINELLAS SPORTS AUTHORITY, et. al., Appellees, PINELLAS RESORT ORGANIZATION, INC., et al., Appellants, v. PINELLAS SPORTS AUTHORITY, et. al., Appellees, 461 So. 2d 72

Summary

Appellee sports authority sought to build a sports stadium and it issued revenue bonds. Appellant company sought declaratory and injunctive relief and appellee brought a bond validation proceeding concurrently. The lower court consolidated the two actions and issued a final judgment of validation. Appellants argued that violations of the Florida Sunshine Law, Fla. Stat. ch. 286.011(1) (1983) prevented the validation of the bonds. Appellants contended that appellees' members met in meetings that were not public. The court held that the language of the Act did not to apply when the individuals in attendance were only able to have reported back to their respective entities and all discussions and decisions of all three appellees took place in open, public meetings. Appellants argued that the ballot question presented to the voters failed apprise the voters that a stadium project could have been the subject of the tourist tax revenues. In affirming the judgment, the court noted that every ...