'They're taking our money': Santa Clara votes to remove 49ers as managers of Levi's Stadium

A general view of the exterior of Levi's Stadium is seen prior to the start of the game between the San Francisco 49ers and the Chicago Bears on September 14, 2014 in Santa Clara, California. (Photo by Jeff Gross/Getty Images) less A general view of the exterior of Levi's Stadium is seen prior to the start of the game between the San Francisco 49ers and the Chicago Bears on September 14, 2014 in Santa Clara, California. (Photo by Jeff ... more Photo: Jeff Gross, Getty Images Photo: Jeff Gross, Getty Images Image 1 of / 3 Caption Close 'They're taking our money': Santa Clara votes to remove 49ers as managers of Levi's Stadium 1 / 3 Back to Gallery

The ugly break between the San Francisco 49ers and the city of Santa Clara has reached yet another contentious milestone.

This week, the Santa Clara City Council unanimously voted to remove the team as managers of Levi's Stadium, alleging the 49ers have defrauded taxpayers of almost $1 million by cutting sponsorship deals on the side.

According to Santa Clara city attorney Brian Doyle, the 49ers made additional sponsorship deals for themselves during negotiations for the last two Redbox Bowl games, a college football bowl game played at Levi's. Through those deals, the team profited to the tune of $800,000, Doyle claims.

"This is very serious. They’re taking our money and making the decision to give it to themselves," Doyle told KTVU. "This is just the tip of the iceberg."

If enacted, the city council's resolution would bar the 49ers from managing both non-NFL and NFL events, meaning they wouldn't be in charge of their own home games.

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The vote, for now, is just symbolic, however. The team and the city are tied up in litigation; last September, the 49ers filed a lawsuit to retain management of the venue. There is no date yet for a hearing in that case, and the current arrangement remains in place until a judge issues a ruling.

"We should all be troubled that this vote comes clearly as an act of retaliation after it became public that the 49ers would join civil rights leaders to defeat Measure C," 49ers Vice President Rahul Chandhok said in a statement. "The 49ers Management Company will continue to manage Levi’s Stadium and attract the most celebrated events in the world to the Bay Area. The City’s latest announcement is just another step in a self-destructive process they began years ago as part of a petty political vendetta.

"All of those efforts failed, just as this latest attempt will also fail."

Measure C, which Santa Clara residents will vote on on March 3, aims to change the city's districts. Instead of its current six districts with one city councilmember each, it would merge some to create three districts with two councilmembers apiece. In previous years, Santa Clara residents could vote for any candidate, regardless of where they lived.

Niners CEO Jed York recently gave $300,000 to the "No on C" campaign, a move criticized by some city officials as an effort to meddle in local elections.

As the drama continues, so too do the big events at Levi's Stadium. In the coming months, Levi's is hosting Monster Jam, K-pop sensation BTS and Justin Bieber's "Changes" tour.

Katie Dowd is an SFGATE Senior Digital Editor. Contact: katie.dowd@sfgate.com | Twitter: @katiedowd