The San Francisco 49ers and the city of Santa Clara continue to have an up and down relationship. Well, it seems to be primarily between the 49ers and mayor Lisa Gillmor, but you get the point.
Levi’s Stadium operations have been undergoing an audit due to questions about the use of General Fund money for stadium expenses. There are accusations and denials flying every which way, and the relationship remains a mess.
Late last month, Mayor Gillmor threatened to remove the 49ers stadium company from management of Levi’s Stadium. The 49ers offered up a new statement on Tuesday regarding those comments. It would appear the 49ers have people on hand at Tuesday’s Santa Clara city council meeting, so we’ll keep an eye out for a report from the meeting. There is some thought it could be a fiery meeting. In the meantime, here is the 49ers latest statement.
“The San Francisco 49ers organization has been subject to a campaign of misinformation and headline-grabbing accusations, most recently in regard to the management of Levi’s Stadium. Contrary to these rumors and reports, the 49ers have not breached any agreements with the City. Rather, Levi’s Stadium, under 49ers management, has proven to be a tremendous economic and cultural asset not only to the City but also the entire region, while returning millions of dollars of revenue to Santa Clara.
“Until recently, we have remained largely silent, hoping our performance would speak for itself. The Mayor fails to recognize that her unfounded accusations are harmful to her city and constituents. It is they who stand to lose revenues if promoters and event planners believe there is instability in the management of Levi’s Stadium.
“Contrary to the Mayor’s recent statements to the press, she has no right to terminate the 49ers as manager of Levi’s Stadium. Her unjustified threat to remove the 49ers has unnecessarily created a fear of job loss in the many employees who have worked so hard on behalf of the Stadium Authority to make Levi’s Stadium so successful in such a short time. The 49ers will continue to manage Levi’s Stadium in the world-class manner that has already garnered the venue and the City of Santa Clara international recognition.
“The 49ers have cooperated fully with the Mayor’s financial consultants. We have responded to all questions asked and have either provided copies of the requested documents, or, where confidentiality is a concern, we invited the consultants to review the requested information in our offices.
“The same information has been shared with the City and its staff and auditors many times before. The City of Santa Clara’s own Agenda Report for its November 15, 2016, Council Meeting notes that over the course of many days and many hours, City staff and representatives from Keyser Marston Associates reviewed all stadium revenues and expenditures since the first non-NFL event on August 2, 2014. Furthermore, the Stadium Authority employed the internationally renowned and respected certified public accounting firm KPMG to audit stadium financials on four occasions – twice during construction and twice since the commencement of operations. Each of KPMG’s four independent audits resulted in clean audit opinions.”