After months of turmoil, Stockton City Council will deliberate the appointment of a new city manager candidate next week — and he’s no stranger to Stockton.
Council is set to vote Tuesday on appointing former Stockton Deputy City Manager Johnny R. Ford as the city’s next chief executive, according to the meeting’s agenda. Ford was forced to leave the city under investigation but was later cleared of wrongdoing and given a settlement for damages.
If approved, Ford would step into City Hall’s top administrative role at a moment of heightened scrutiny and conflict. Last week, the council voted to open an inquiry into Vice Mayor Jason Lee and refer potential misconduct by former interim City Manager Steve Colangelo to the San Joaquin County District Attorney. A request for a state audit of Stockton’s financial controls also remains pending.
Under his draft employment agreement, Ford is set to receive a $325,000 annual base salary, as well as a monthly automobile allowance of $500, funding for professional development and $400 per month for technology, among other benefits. The three-year contract will go into affect Wednesday.
Ford’s history with Stockton
Ford previously served as Stockton’s deputy city manager beginning in 2003. He was fired in 2009 by then-City Manager Gordon Palmer, who accused him of “improperly pressuring the city’s arena manager for free event tickets,” according to prior reporting from The Stockton Record. The firing became one of the most contentious personnel disputes in the city’s recent history and led the council to convene a three-member ad hoc committee.
The committee later cleared Ford of wrongdoing. Its report cited inconsistencies in witness accounts and noted that a key investigative document had been rewritten after the original version omitted any allegation that Ford pressured the arena manager.
During the committee’s review, former City Attorney Ren Nosky defended Palmer’s decision at the time, saying that “Mr. Ford had already admitted the conduct in question.” Ford disputed that statement.
Former Councilmember Elbert Holman, a retired investigator who chaired the ad hoc panel, questioned at the time why the original report contained no reference to the alleged pressure Ford was supposed to have exerted.
“How significant would it have been if Mr. Kemp said, ‘Johnny Ford is pressuring me’?” Holman had said. “Why wouldn’t that be in your first report?”
Palmer later retired following the investigation.
The council and Ford agreed to mediation over the dispute in November 2009 before the city agreed two months later to pay Ford $250,000 in damages, plus attorney’s fees and benefits, according to The Stockton Record.
A year of turnover at City Hall
Stockton’s current leadership instability began in January, when former City Manager Harry Black resigned under threat of termination by the council. After his departure, the council appointed Steve Colangelo as interim city manager — a decision that quickly unraveled as questions surfaced about his conduct and decision-making. By spring and summer, concerns over Colangelo’s handling of internal matters intensified, prompting councilmembers to call for greater oversight.
Those tensions came to a head Wednesday, when the council held one of its most contentious meetings, voting to refer Colangelo’s potential misconduct to the district attorney and opening an inquiry into Lee over related allegations and claims of retaliation.
Ford’s return would come as the council seeks stability in its executive leadership. If confirmed, he would oversee Stockton’s day-to-day operations, manage its budget and lead more than 1,700 employees while multiple reviews of city practices initiated by council continue.
The council will consider Ford’s appointment during its regular session meeting at 5:30 p.m. Tuesday at City Hall.