A provision in their contract allows both the Braves and Cobb County the ability to audit the projectGETTY IMAGES
A year and a half after SunTrust Park opened, Cobb County (Ga.) has "yet to account for tens of millions of dollars in stadium construction work and officials haven't independently confirmed a final price tag on the county's largest, most controversial public works project," according to a front-page piece by Meris Lutz of the ATLANTA JOURNAL-CONSTITUTION. The Braves, who managed the ballpark's construction, said at $684M, the venue "exceeded its budget, with the team covering more than its share." However, Cobb County "only has invoices" covering $536M, meaning there is roughly $148M in "construction costs for which Cobb officials have not reviewed receipts." Determining the final cost for SunTrust Park and the "percentage paid by the county and the Braves is vital to understanding taxpayers' [role] in a project touted as a win-win partnership when officials announced it five years ago." That deal "stipulates that if the project came under budget, the savings may be applied toward 'mutually agreed upon'" improvements or a capital maintenance fund -- "both expenses that taxpayers must help cover." The "lack of a clear accounting means the county is at a disadvantage to verify if there were any savings and hampers public scrutiny of what the Braves claimed" as a ballpark expense. A provision in the contract "allows either side to audit the project" (ATLANTA JOURNAL-CONSTITUTION, 11/19).
