Stockton City Council is expected to appoint a new city manager, put a time cap on its future meetings, address a controversial health grant and revisit ongoing investigations.
The meeting comes after a special session last Wednesday, where council approved an additional inquiry into Vice Mayor Jason Lee and the referral of possible misconduct by former interim City Manager Steve Colangelo to various investigative bodies.
Appointing a new city manager
Council members are poised to formally appoint Johnny R. Ford as Stockton’s new city manager.
If approved, Ford’s three-year contract agreement will go into effect Wednesday and run through Nov. 20, 2028. His base salary is set at $325,000 annually, with additional benefits. The contract emphasizes at-will status, serving at the council’s pleasure.
The possible appointment comes on the heels of a year of turmoil at City Hall amid interim leadership following former City Manager Harry Black forced resignation in early January.
William Crew served as acting city manager initially, followed by Steve Colangelo as interim until his contract expired in the beginning August, when Crew once again stepped into the city’s executive role.
Council meetings may soon end at 11 p.m.
A proposed amendment to the Stockton City Council Policy Manual would require meetings to adjourn no later than 11 p.m. Items in progress would continue to the next regularly-scheduled meeting, where those items would take priority.
The change, requested by Mayor Fugazi on Nov. 3, updates agenda procedures organized by the city manager. Agendas must be prepared 72 hours in advance, and the policy already prohibits action on unlisted items unless an emergency exception applies.
Revising rules for council discretionary funds
Council will consider amending policies dictating how the mayor and councilmembers spend discretionary funds, typically $15,000 per councilmember and $60,000 for the mayor annually.
The potential updates stem from a financial review by Moss Adams, an independent auditing firm, focusing on council’s discretionary spending from July 2023 to December 2024. The report identified several issues, including using funds for personal benefit for things like travel perks and event tickets, often lacking a clear rationale related to their positions on council. Auditors recommended the council implement better approval processes, training and record keeping.
Proposed changes include more-detailed definitions for how discretionary funds can be used, as well as a formal application process for funding requests.
Authorized spending covers community events, travel, memberships and sponsorships that demonstrate community value without political or religious ties.
Councilmembers must sign annual acknowledgements on how discretionary funds can be spent. The Audit Committee would also review expenditures publicly each May, with violations leading to possible restitution or legal action.
The Legislation and Environmental Committee unanimously recommended the changes in September after directing revisions for the policies to staff the month prior.
Presentation on OPTIC transparency office
Council will receive an informational presentation on the current fiscal year’s communication plan for the Office of Public Transparency, Information and Communication, also known as OPTIC. According to a staff presentation, OPTIC’s theme for the plan is “Telling Stockton’s story” through strategic outreach.
Development of OPTIC’s strategic communication plan involved meetings with 13 department directors between October and November. The plan prioritizes recruitment for first responders, community engagement and promotional campaigns showcasing city operations.
The plan is scheduled to be rolled out in phases, launching in December with efforts such as “Ask Stockton” tutorials, aiming for measurable goals including more than 200 social posts for the year and creation of civic engagement videos.
Supporting a controversial state behavioral health grant application
The council will consider backing Service First of Northern California’s grant application for round one funding from the state Behavioral Health Continuum Infrastructure Program, committing to provide $300,000 in matching city funds from its affordable housing resources.
Service First received a conditional $8.2 million award in May, requiring a 10% match, calculated to be $823,964.
Last week, council members held a special meeting to discuss an unauthorized funding commitment by former Interim City Manager Steve Colangelo in July. According to a letter signed by Colangelo, the former interim pledged the city would provide the more than $800,000 in matching funds required for Service First to receive the grant.
At its special meeting, the City Council referred Colangelo’s possible misconduct to criminal investigators but opted to move forward with possibly still providing funds, though a reduced amount, to Service First in order for the nonprofit to maintain its grant award and provide the city with behavioral health services.
The state program was launched in October 2024 with $3.3 billion available to fund behavioral health projects throughout the state.
Service First’s proposed recovery center would include dozens of beds for adults with substance use disorders or in need of social rehabilitation, outpatient services and peer respite beds.The nonprofit also purports a projected ability to serve 18,720 people annually.
The city’s $300,000 would supplement Service First’s other funding sources to meet the Nov. 21 deadline of when they need to submit documentation proving the 10% of matching funds will be available for the project, or risk losing the award.
Expanding the ‘Wild ‘n Out’ investigation
Council will also discuss broadening the scope of an ongoing investigation into a comedy event at Adventist Health Arena May 24, after allegations regarding regarding Vice Mayor Jason Lee’s involvement in the “Wild n’ Out” event and a potential misuse of city funds.
The original probe, approved 4-3 in August into Lee’s involvement in the city providing public money to prop up the event, is now complete.
The proposed expansion would examine whether the vice mayor’s failure to recuse himself from the vote initiating the investigation violated California’s Fair Political Practices Commission rules surrounding conflicts of interest.
If directed, the city attorney would review the possible violation and report findings at the next available meeting. If violations are found, the city attorney would then pursue litigation or referrals to investigative bodies.