After hearing from more than 70 stadium supporters and opponents and debating the project thoroughly, Miami City Commissioners voted 3-2 to finance a new ballpark for the Marlins.

The vote came a month after commissioners deadlocked 2-2 on the project when Commissioner Michelle Spence-Jones was on maternity leave. Spence-Jones provided the deciding third vote, joining stadium supporters Commission Chairman Joe Sanchez and Commissioner Angel Gonzalez.

Before voting on the plan, Spence-Jones spent considerable time going over everything from the percentage of stadium construction jobs promised to Miami-Dade County residents and concerns that Overtown get its promised aid for development and improvements.

Commissioner Marc Sarnoff worried about the current 22 percent decline in bed tax dollars collections and cost overruns.

Miami Commissioner Tomas Regalado voted against the deal because he said the city was not benefiting from it.

“We should do a stadium. We should have the team play in Miami, but we should get something for the city of Miami, we don’t have enough,” Regalado said. “We have done everything, we have given away everything and been given nothing in return.”

In the month since the project stalled, the Marlins agreed to changes, including providing higher percentages of the profits, should the team be sold within 10 years. Instead of 18 percent in the first year, the team agreed to 70 percent, followed by 60 percent in the second year on down to 5 percent. The team has also agreed to contribute $500,000 a year for youth and community baseball programs and to build or improve 39 baseball fields in the county.

The deal was also changed so that it scan still be terminated either by July 1 or by the time the county completes the bond sale for the stadium, whichever is earlier.

The deal, which relies on $310 million from hotel bed tax dollars and a $50 million general obligation bond, now moves to the Miami-Dade County Commission, which is scheduled to consider it at its 1 p.m. meeting on Monday.

The city vote came in a packed commission chambers, where speakers kept lining up to be heard. Residents alternately spoke of their desire to see the stadium built so it creates needed construction jobs, and to see the project stopped because it’s a waste of tax dollars that could be spent on other tourism projects and will create only temporary jobs.

“I’m unemployed, been unemployed for the last six months. I’m living off my credit cards,” said Greg Mikenas, a carpenter from Lake Worth. “I’m not here to ask for a bailout, I’m here to ask for a job.”

Michael Burnstine, co-founder of the Coalition Against Marlins Bailout, said he enjoys going to Marlin
s games, but the ballpark agreement favors the Marlins at the expense of taxpayers.

“It’s an egregious onerous business deal,” Burnstine said.