The Stockton City Council is set to hold a public hearing and vote on extending a temporary ban on new smoke shops while also weighing major updates to the city’s tobacco retail licensing rules during its regular meeting on Tuesday.
The council is also expected to address the San Joaquin regional transit district funding in an informational item during the meeting.
The tobacco ban follows a year-long effort to address concerns over the rapid growth of tobacco retailers and their impact on public health and safety.
Stockton has seen a surge in smoke shops, causing the council to pause new openings and revise regulations.
The ban, first adopted as an urgency ordinance on March 4, 2025, and extended once already on April 15, 2025, is set to expire March 2, 2026.
If approved, the extension would last one more year, until March 2, 2027—the maximum allowed under state law.
City officials stated the ban is needed because the proliferation of smoke shops continues to pose an immediate threat to public health, safety and welfare.
Stockton has over 100 licensed tobacco retailers, many clustered in low-income areas and near schools or parks, leading to issues like illegal sales of cannabis or flavored products targeting youth, increased crime such as theft and vandalism and higher rates of youth vaping according to city documents.
The city has been studying the problem, reviewing regulations from other cities like Sacramento and Fresno, mapping local retailers, and holding community workshops where 75% of surveyed residents supported restrictions. Without the extension, pending applications for five new shops could move forward, potentially undermining planned reforms. Staff recommends approval, noting no environmental impact under state guidelines.
The council could adopt an urgency ordinance which governs tobacco retail licenses. The original rules, set in June 2023, required licenses but didn’t fully curb the growth of smoke shops or related problems like sales to minors.
The proposed changes aim to tighten controls, new definitions clarify terms like “smoke shop” (businesses where tobacco sales are primary) and ban flavored tobacco or single-use products.
Licenses would require background checks, site plans and annual fees ($500 initial, $300 renewal) to cover enforcement costs. Key restrictions include no new shops within 1,000 feet of schools, youth centers or parks, or 500 feet of other retailers, according to city documents.
Violations could lead to fines up to $1,000 per day, license suspension after two infractions in a year, or revocation after three. Appeals would go through a hearing officer, then to the council.
City staff report says these measures, developed from data analysis and public input (including three forums), will discourage illegal sales without burdening compliant businesses. If passed as an urgency measure, it takes effect immediately.
San Joaquin RTD funding
An informational item provides an update toward funding for the San Joaquin Regional Transit District (RTD) after a tumultuous week.
In 2023, RTD handled 2.3 million riders at a cost of $42 million, funded by federal grants, state allocations and local sales tax from Measure K. Comparisons show RTD’s efficiency ($18.40 per passenger) versus higher costs for smaller city systems like those in Lodi or Tracy.
While not explicitly stated in the presentation, city council may address the ongoing issue regarding former RTD CEO Alex Clifford being removed by the governing board last week. It has been suggested his removal was influenced by Mayor Christina Fugazi due to funds from SB125.
Clifford told Stocktonia he believed his initial suspension arose from RTD’s plans to sue the San Joaquin Council of Governments, which Fugazi chairs.
RTD leaders had planned to sue the council for allegedly wrongly withholding about $62 million in transit funding the bus system says it’s owed. Meanwhile, Fugazi has argued RTD’s documents seeking the funds were insufficient. The board ultimately suspended Clifford Monday, then fired him on Friday.