The St. Petersburg City Council voted in favor of an offer outlining fees based on the amount the Tampa Bay Rays would pay if it left Tropicana Field before its 2027 lease expires.

"There is a redevelopment fee of $5 million if they choose to go to Hillsborough, there's a redevelopment fee of $2.5 million if they choose to go to Pinellas outside of the city and obviously, if they stay in St. Pete, there is no redevelopment fee," said councilman Jim Kennedy.

The redevelopment fee would be due immediately, then a yearly fee would kick in.

"From the point of a per year payment, it's $4 million a year if they go to Hillsborough, it's $2 million if they go to Pinellas outside the city and there is no fee if they stay in St. Pete," Kennedy said.

Mayor Rick Kriseman wants the team to stay. He said he has concerns, but that this is just an offer, not an agreement.

This is the third time in the last 10 months the council has tried to agree on a plan that would allow the baseball club to alter its lease agreement with the city and search for a new stadium site.

"It's been almost a year since the first agreement was brought to council for their consideration, typically you don't see offers get better with time, so that's a concern," said Kriseman. "And the other concern is the amount that the Rays are being asked to pay."

Councilman Charlie Gerdes shared that concern and voted no.

"I was hoping that we could offer $2.5 million a year instead of $4.4 (million) -- everything else I'm perfectly fine with," said Gerdes.

The Rays are under contract with the city until 2027. The mayor will take this offer to the Rays.

The council also considered Chairman Charlie Gerdes' plan which would call for the team to pay $22 million if it left downtown St. Pete by 2020. The Rays have not commented on the latest figures.