Santa Clara mayor threatens to take over management of Levi's Stadium

SANTA CLARA, Calif. (KGO) -- Threats by Santa Clara to take over management of Levi's Stadium may be on hold while auditors determine if the 49ers have provided detailed financial records about revenue and expenses.

The team had a 5 p.m. deadline Monday to comply as Santa Clara tries to flush out if it has been subsidizing security costs.

A preliminary audit suggests Santa Clara has been absorbing some of the cost of police and other services for games and events at Levi's Stadium.

That would be illegal under the provisions of the 2010 ballot measure that voters approved to build the stadium.

The 49ers responded saying: "The mayor's accusations that money is going from the city's general fund into the stadium are false and irresponsible."

But the mayor is threatening to take over management of the stadium because the Niners have not been providing detailed financials for an audit. "The information requested has not been provided to the stadium authority through our public requests and out city requests and they have not been provided to the auditor," Santa Clara Mayor Lisa Gillmor said.

The deadline was 5 p.m., and team president Al Guido assured ABC7 News most of the requested records will be in the hands of auditors. And it will pay back the city for any expenses the city is not allowed to cover.

A few budget items will take a few more days to compile. "Obviously we've got to get through the list of requests to give them the proper information that they need and we'll do that. As long as the audit committee has questions for the San Francisco 49ers and the management company, we'll be there to answer them," Guido said.

Debbie Bress and Gillmor were on opposite sides of the stadium debate six years ago when Santa Clara voters decided whether to do the stadium deal. Bress now applauds the mayor for standing up to the Niners.

However, she is concerned that oversight of stadium revenues for games and non-NFL events has been lax. "We don't even look at the contracts. How do we know it's going to be profitable? Who's making the concessions? Who's deciding how much security we're going to have? We've got the fox in charge of the hen house over there," Bress said.

The Niners are in the second year of a 40-year lease with the city.

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