Mayor Kevin Johnson lashed out at the Maloof family today, calling their statements that the family never agreed to pay for pre-development costs of a new arena “disingenuous.”

Hours before the City Council is expected to approve the start of crucial pre-development work on the $391 million arena, the mayor accused the Maloofs of “tactics and antics that are not becoming of a true partnership.”

“We as a city can’t be jerked around,” he said. “We can’t keep having this issue flare up.”

Johnson then indicated he wants the issue resolved by next week.

The NBA team owners will meet in New York next week, when league Commissioner David Stern is expected to raise the matter of the Maloofs’ pre-development contribution. Asked if the city would seek new ownership for the team should the Maloofs continue to balk in New York, the mayor said, “We’re not going to be a city that sits on its hands.”

“Do we need to look at contingency plans? Absolutely,” he said.

“It’s not adding up from my vantage point,” he said. “I’ve been dumbfounded.”

via Ryan Lillis and Tony Bizjak of The Sacramento Bee