Voters To Decide $937M Stadium Deal in June

SANTA CLARA, CA-Voters here will decide a $937-million NFL stadium deal with the San Francisco 49ers in the June 8, 2010 primary election. The City Council committed to putting the deal before the voters a couple of years ago but Tuesday night was the first time a date has been set for the vote.

Deputy city manager Carol McCarthy tells GlobeSt.com the Council also certified the the environmental impact report for the would-be 68,000-seat NFL stadium Tuesday night and directed the city manager to begin creating ballot language. Proposed language will be back before the City Council on Dec. 15, she says.

Having the vote at the same time as the statewide primary elections on June 8 was selected at least in part because a report provided to the council earlier this year determined it would be the least expensive route at $152,000, compared to $364,000 for an all-mail election in March and $652,000 for a special election in April. There was also talk earlier this year about having two stadium-related ballot questions—one vote for the deal itself and another to allow the 49ers to select their own contractor rather than go through the city’s RFP process—but it won’t happen now because state law was recently changed to allow it to happen without a vote, McCarthy says.