By Khalida Sarwari
Santa Clara County Superior Court Judge Mark Pierce on Monday dismissed a pair of lawsuits filed by a resident who claims the 49ers stadium ballot measure that will go before voters in June is deceptive in terms of the project’s true cost to taxpayers.
Deborah Bress, an unemployed Santa Clara resident, filed one lawsuit in March against Santa Clara City Clerk Rod Diridon Jr. and acting City Attorney Elizabeth Silver on grounds that the city attorney’s analysis of the proposal’s financial impact was not impartial, she said.
The second lawsuit, also filed in March, named 10 people who signed ballot arguments supporting the measure, including Santa Clara Mayor Patricia Mahan and state Sen. Elaine Alquist, D-Santa Clara. Bress said the lawsuit challenged them to substantiate their statements.
She said that despite Councilman Jamie Matthews’ assertion that the stadium is not going to cost residents any money, about $114 million of the $937 million needed for the 68,500-seat stadium will come from public funds. Bress cited a chart issued by 49ers president Jed York.
She said an additional $67 million would be diverted from redevelopment agency funds.
Voters are expected to decide on the stadium proposal in the June 8 primary election.