Only days after blasting a deal that appeared to water down the city’s diversity efforts, Stockton’s vice mayor is now offering support for the move that he believes will lead to more “evidence-based” outcomes when it comes inclusion, diversity and equity.

The city issued a statement saying that after “extensive conversation,” Vice Mayor Jason Lee and interim City Manager Steve Colangelo are now in accord on the transfer of DEI efforts to the city’s Human Resources department.

The statement follows a meeting Monday when, under sharp questioning from Lee, it was revealed that Colangelo diverted nearly $100,000 in funds earmarked largely for DEI to contract with the city manager of Lathrop for consulting services. At the hearing, Lee blasted the move as a “deconstruction of DEI to pay for a man in another city.”

The bombshell disclosure built on exclusive revelations by Stocktonia that Colangelo, a former fairgrounds CEO and long-time event manager, picked to run California’s 11th largest city, had contracted with Lathrop City Manager Stephen J. Salvatore as an $11,000-a-month consultant.

“By moving the (DEI) person out of the position, changing the title and taking away the budget to pay for a city manager in another city that has not given us any proof that there’s been value to that agreement, I mean I just don’t know how you can make sense of this,” Lee said at the City Council’s Audit Committee meeting Monday.

But by Thursday, Lee was apparently struck by a change of heart.

“After a thorough review of outcomes data and extensive conversations with the Interim
City Manager, I’m energized about this evidence-based direction,” said Lee in the statement released by the city.

Lee said the change moves past good intentions toward measurable progress. It also promises accountability and transparency. The city will have to set clear goals and show the outcomes.

The statement said its “new approach” will take DEI into account for every hire, promotion or salary decision across all departments.

“We’re not reducing our commitment. We’re making it more systematic, more sustainable, and more accountable,” Colangelo said in the statement.