James Lindsay, a retired city manager with more than two decades of public service experience, has been appointed as Lodi’s acting city manager amid ongoing personnel investigations and administrative changes.
The Lodi City Council approved his appointment during its Wednesday meeting, with Lindsay set to begin his interim role Thursday, though his hiring is subject to standard background and employment checks.
Council adopted the resolution to appoint Lindsay by a 4-1 vote. Mayor Pro Tempore Ramon Yepez voted against the motion.
“I am both honored and excited to serve the great city of Lodi,” Lindsay said during the meeting.
Lindsay served as Saratoga’s city manager from 2014 until his retirement in 2024. During his tenure, he oversaw projects including revisions to the city’s sign regulations and an update to the General Plan’s Noise Element, a state-mandated planning document that identifies sources of community noise and outlines policies to reduce their impact on residents.
Prior to being city manager, Lindsay was Saratoga’s community development director and served as planning and neighborhood services director in Milpitas before that. He also holds an undergraduate degree in environmental studies from San Jose State University, according to the city of Saratoga.
Under the terms of his employment agreement, Lindsay will serve for up to six months at a rate of $140 per hour, though without benefits, under a law that allows retired public employees to return to work temporarily if they possess needed specialized skills.
Lindsay steps into the role following the administrative leave of City Manager Scott Carney in early April. Carney was put on leave after accusing senior staff of financial misconduct during a council meeting.
The city has also since engaged the law firm Meyers Nave to conduct a personnel investigation, with the council having also approved an amendment to the firm’s contract to allow for the hiring of investigators. The expanded agreement increased the contract total to $210,000 to support the ongoing review of allegations raised by City Manager Scott Carney.
The city stated via Facebook that councilmembers reviewed several external candidates with prior city manager experience before appointing Lindsay. His selection follows the council’s decision to seek outside leadership while the city manager remains on administrative leave during the ongoing investigation.
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