Following an investigation into Levi's Stadium finances, the Santa Clara County Civil Grand Jury is "recommending that the city immediately order an independent audit to determine whether taxpayer dollars were spent on the stadium," according to Ramona Giwargis of the SAN JOSE MERCURY NEWS. The grand jury "launched the probe into the stadium's finances after receiving a complaint that public funds were being used to support the multimillion-dollar stadium." This is a violation of the '10 voter-approved Measure J, which "promised Santa Clara residents that no general fund dollars would pay the venue's operations." When city employees, including police and fire officials, "set up NFL events or provide security during games, they're required to report those hours separately on their time sheets so the city can bill" the 49ers. However, there is no way to "determine if an employee fails to accurately reports hours worked for stadium events." The audit requested by Santa Clara Mayor Lisa Gillmor "should outline how city employees get reimbursed for time spent on stadium business." Gillmor plans to "ask the City Council to extend the audit's time frame to when Measure J passed" in '10 -- one of the jury's recommendations -- instead of '14 when the stadium saw its first NFL season (SAN JOSE MERCURY NEWS, 6/21).
