When Stockton’s councilmembers convene for their first meeting of the New Year today, city documents suggest another shakeup in municipal leadership may be in the offing.
This time, it’s City Attorney Lori Asuncion who may be headed out the door.
Two items on the agenda for discussion during the meeting’s closed session indicate the council will consider the “discipline/dismissal release” of an unnamed public employee. City emails obtained by Stocktonia confirm the employee in question is Asuncion.
Who would replace Asuncion, should she be dismissed, is the subject of the very next agenda item, a scheduled discussion on an appointment for the job “City Attorney.”
A similar combination and order of items for discussion appeared on the agenda for a meeting last January. In that case, former City Manager Harry Black resigned in lieu of being fired.
What followed Black’s forced departure was a year marred by City Hall controversies that included an exodus of city employees, including many in top management, public sparring among councilmembers, the city manager’s chair changing hands four times, and pleading from the public for unity, decorum and effective leadership from their elected officials.
And the City Council appears poised to kick off this year as it did the last, with the possible ousting of another top official and deep divisions.
Infighting on — and off — the dais seems unlikely to subside any time soon. Just two weeks into 2026, dissension has already started to engulf the council with Councilmembers Brando Villapudua and Michele Padilla requesting the city clerk withhold their association with Tuesday’s review of whether the city attorney should keep her job.
Villapudua requested the item be placed on the agenda, city emails obtained by Stocktonia show, with Padilla and Councilmember Mariela Ponce signing on in support. Villapudua and Ponce did not respond to inquiries about why they initiated the move; Padilla responded that she could not comment on the decision.
On Monday, Mayor Christina Fugazi also called out Vice Mayor Jason Lee and Councilmembers Michael Blower and Mario Enríquez on social media for “unfairly” targeting the new city manager by requesting a performance review be put on the council’s agenda for Tuesday, criticizing their lack of transparency in doing so without further public explanation.
“Our city deserves continuity, and our staff deserve to know that their work will not be undermined by abrupt or unexplained actions,” Fugazi says in the post, which also features a photo of the mayor and newly minted City Manager Johnny Ford, whom the council hired in November, together smiling at a conference table. The mayor said she has “full confidence in our City Manager.”
Blower told Stocktonia Monday evening that the review is meant as just a check-in with Ford.
“There’s no other action attached to this. It’s not a negative in any way,” Blower said. “So for the mayor to turn this into a big deal, I think, is pretty hypocritical.”
“Especially considering apparently other councilmembers put an item (on the agenda) to not just review but to dismiss our very competent, ethical and honest city attorney, yet she doesn’t call them out,” he added.
Stockton city attorney could be ousted
The move to consider Asuncion’s job comes amid a continuing conflict between Councilmember Villapudua and the city attorney, as shown in a series of emails obtained by Stocktonia dating back at least six months. It is at least the second time Villapudua has requested a review of Asuncion.
According to a Jan. 7 email to City Clerk Katherine Roland, Villapudua asked to place a six-month review of the city attorney’s performance on Tuesday’s council agenda. Emails show Councilmembers Padilla and Ponce supported Villapudua’s request.
Roland informed Villapudua that Asuncion’s last review was Aug. 12 and thus a six-month review could only be scheduled as early as mid-February. Following a brief back-and-forth, the District 5 councilmember amended his request to only include his proposed companion item of possible discipline, dismissal or release of the city attorney. Other emails show both Padilla and Ponce supported the request.
Council policy requires three councilmembers to show support for an item before it can be considered during closed session. The mayor, city manager and city attorney can all independently request a closed session without any additional support.
The item discussing a possible appointment is automatically added to an agenda if there is a possibility an appointed officer does get dismissed, Roland told Stocktonia.
“In general, the appointed officers already have someone who can take over in their absence,” Roland said. “For example, when I am out of the office, the assistant city clerk, Allison Lambertson, steps in.”
No further explanation was provided in councilmembers’ discussion with the city clerk’s office related to the agenda request, emails show, such as why they felt Asuncion’s job needed to be reviewed.
But earlier, in an Aug. 4 email, Villapudua listed a litany of complaints against Asuncion and her office, including insufficient communication practices, “a failure to enforce the City Charter, particularly when it comes to Councilmember conduct,” having personal allegiances that don’t align with the city attorney’s duties, and an “alarming lack of coordination” with former interim City Manager Steve Colangelo’s office.
Although his email was addressed to Assistant City Attorney Taryn Jones and Mayor Christina Fugazi as well as Asuncion, Villapudua appeared to be specifically directing his remarks to the city attorney.
“Based on your performance to date, I must state plainly that I have no confidence in your leadership as City Attorney,” Villapudua wrote. “And that is not just unfortunate, it is tragic for the City of Stockton.” Villapudua also told Asuncion he was formally requesting the mayor place on the agenda “a comprehensive review of your performance and the operations of your office.”
Asuncion responded to Villapudua later that same day, refuting his claims in detail, including a spreadsheet of more than a dozen interactions between the two dated from February to August.
“I am fully aware of my charter duties, and I work diligently to stay out of your council’s frequent political battles,” Asuncion said in the email. “I don’t have personal allegiances to any of the council because my client is the City of Stockton,” adding that “It is my practice regardless of what may be the circumstances of my interaction with each councilmember to maintain a productive, respectful, and professional relationship with (each) individual.”
Portions of Villapudua’s email and Asuncion’s response were redacted in the documents released to Stocktonia.
The council’s Aug. 12 meeting included a performance review for Asuncion during closed session, but no action was taken against Asuncion.
Since items related to employment were discussed in closed session, the public is not privy to the deliberations. State law requires only actions taken during closed session, such as the hiring or firing of a council-appointed employee, be publicly disclosed.
During that same meeting, the council opted not to re-up Colangelo’s contract as interim city manager, with the mayor later pulling the contract from the agenda during open session with no explanation as to why.
Padilla and Villapudua request fellow councilmembers be kept in the dark
Villapudua’s attempts to place Asuncion’s performance on Tuesday’s agenda appear to spotlight the continuing discussions among councilmembers over the issue of transparency in city government.
The emails obtained by Stocktonia show that both Padilla and Villapudua each separately asked Roland not to reveal that they and Ponce had requested the council consider the possible dismissal of Asuncion.
“(W)e respectfully request that the identity of the requesting Councilmembers not be disclosed outside of what is legally required,” Villapudua said in his initial request to Roland on Jan. 7. “Should inquiries arise from other members of the City Council regarding the origin of this request, we ask that such information be withheld, consistent with past practice.”
“All members will have the opportunity to address the matter at the appropriate time in closed session,” he added.
In a separate email later that day, Padilla made a similar request to Roland, telling the city clerk that “(o)nce an item is properly agendized, it represents Council business, and there is no requirement to identify individual councilmembers on the dais. I believe it is important that discussion remain focused on the substance of the item rather than attribution,” the District 1 councilmember wrote. “If questions arise prior to or during the meeting, I would appreciate the item being referred to as a Council-requested or Council-agendized item.”
Roland agreed to the councilmembers’ request as far as the law allows, emails show.
“To set your minds at ease, the agenda item does not include any information about who requested it,” Roland tells Padilla in an emailed response. “Should any requests for information come through, they will be handled as required by the Public Records Act.”
Villapudua and Ponce did not respond to Stocktonia’s questions regarding how they view Asuncion’s job performance. Villapudua also did not respond to a request for further explanation as to why he wanted his, Padilla’s and Ponce’s support for the item be kept from their fellow councilmembers.
In response to emailed questions, Padilla said state law prevented her from commenting on the issue.
“The item you referenced is a closed session matter. As a councilmember, I am legally bound by the Brown Act and confidentiality requirements governing closed session discussions,” Padilla told Stocktonia Monday night. “For that reason, I am unable to comment on the substance of the item, the internal deliberations, or any related communications.”
“Regarding your questions about the City Attorney, any discussion or evaluation of the City Attorney’s performance that occurs in closed session is likewise confidential under state law,” she added.
Fugazi did not respond to Stocktonia’s questions regarding why she only singled out Lee, Enríquez and Blower in her Monday social media post, or what she thought about Padilla and Villapudua wanting to remain anonymous in their request to add the item concerning the city attorney’s possible firing to Tuesday’s agenda.
“The mayor said for transparency who put the item with the city manager on (the agenda), but I guess transparency only applies to us,” Blower told Stocktonia Monday evening.
Councilmembers react to possible firing of city attorney
The meeting’s agenda was released late Thursday.
Councilmembers Blower and Enríquez told Stocktonia Friday that they were surprised and disappointed the city attorney could be out of job. At the time, Blower and Enriquez had said they didn’t know who put the city attorney’s possible firing on the agenda.
“I had no foreknowledge that was going to be on the agenda,” Blower said. “I’m not sure why that was put on there. I think she has been an excellent city attorney.”
Enríquez said that jumping right into possibly firing a top city official at City Hall with no prior discussion is probably not the best way to start the year, especially since the council has not met for nearly a month, noting that councilmembers can’t discuss any issues as a full council outside of a meeting.
He also worries about what the public will think of such a move as getting rid of the city attorney right out the gate following a chaotic year.
“I’m still trying to wrap my head around as to why we operate like this. I mean, I don’t think it has to be done this way,” Enríquez said. “Let’s establish what we want to see for the year and what we want to achieve as a council and for the city, and then we can go from there.”
Blower said he’s worked with two city attorneys during his time at the city and Asuncion has “been demonstrably better than the last one.”
“The work ethic she has is impressive, she’s honest, she’s ethical, and I’ve been happy with the job she’s done,” Blower said. “I was very disappointed to see a possible dismissal. Letting go of a good, strong city attorney would be a huge mistake.”
Likewise, Enríquez said his experience with Asuncion “has been fantastic” and described her nearly two decades of experience with the city of Stockton as invaluable.
“For me, she’s my go-to in terms of knowledge, insight. I think she’s the most insightful person in City Hall,” the first-term councilmember said. “When it comes down to all the legal cases, the litigation that she does on behalf of the city, how she speaks, how she responds, to me at least, her communication has been stellar.”
Asuncion has worked for the city of Stockton in various roles since 2007, according to her LinkedIn page. She has been the city attorney since 2022, hired under a five-year contract.
Fugazi did not respond to Stocktonia’s questions about her views on Asuncion’s job performance or whether she’d support Asuncion remaining in her post.
New city manager up for review
On Monday, Mayor Fugazi specifically called out her fellow councilmembers for putting a city manager performance review on Tuesday’s council meeting agenda so soon after Ford’s November hiring.
“City Manager Johnny Ford has been in this role for roughly six weeks (29 working days). In that short time, he has demonstrated professionalism, steady leadership, and a clear commitment to serving Stockton,” Fugazi wrote. “There has been no public explanation that would reasonably justify placing his performance review on the agenda at this point.”
“For transparency, this item was placed on the agenda by Vice Mayor Jason Lee, along with Councilmembers Mario Enríquez and Michael Blower,” she added.
City emails obtained by Stocktonia confirm that the vice mayor requested the item be put on the meeting’s closed session agenda, with Blower and Enríquez’s support.
However, Blower told Stocktonia Monday that the review was meant as a friendly “check-in” with the new city manager, so he had no problem supporting Lee’s request.
“It didn’t seem like a big deal. It seemed like a reasonable thing to check in with the city manager and see how things are going,” Blower said. “That’s the sort of thing where it’d be good to have the whole council talk to him about how that’s going, so that seemed to be the appropriate place to do it.”
On Monday, Vice Mayor Lee praised Ford in a Facebook post, also featuring a photo of him and the city manager together and smiling.
“I can say confidently that he is the most knowledgeable and focused City Manager we’ve had, and that gives me real hope for where Stockton is headed,” though some commenters questioned why he would then need to review the city manager’s performance.
Blower also jumped into the comments section of Lee’s post Monday night.
“The hypocrisy on display by the mayor is truly astounding. She calls us out for putting an innocuous check in on the agenda and says nothing about the people who added an item to dismiss our honest and ethical City Attorney,” Blower writes. “I guess she believes in selective transparency. (By the way, two of the council members who requested that be put on the agenda asked to be anonymous. Gee, nothing too shady about that.)”
In a statement Monday evening, Lee told Stocktonia that Fugazi’s latest moves reflect “reckless leadership and a failure to unify this Council.”
“What I will continue to do is stay focused on the work — supporting our City Manager’s leadership and addressing real public safety concerns in our neighborhoods,” he said.
Enríquez did not immediately respond to Stocktonia’s questions surrounding what he thought of the mayor’s social media comments or the fact that Councilmembers Villapudua and Padilla had requested their support for possibly dismissing the city attorney be kept anonymous.
Want more? Sign up to get Stocktonia delivered to your inbox three days a week.