Stockton has decided to hire a new official to handle the city government’s diversity, equity and inclusion efforts, reversing a decision that resulted in the elimination of the position last year.
The City Council voted Tuesday to reject bids for DEI consultants and elevate the importance of the diversity issue by hiring a new full-time city official to handle the duties. City Manager Johnny Ford said that with the council’s approval, the staff will move forward in developing a job description and search for candidates.
Ford said the hiring process — “from steps A to Z” — will take two to three months.
The decision to have an in-house employee handling DEI programs follows a scandal last year involving interim City Manager Steve Colangelo. The last DEI manager was dismissed so funds for the position could be diverted to pay $11,000 a month to a consultant to coach Colangelo on how to handle his job, as revealed by Stocktonia.
The scandal provoked a series of hearings and investigations. The former DEI officer, Preya Nixon, testified that Colangelo told her DEI was “a liability to the city.” Colangelo, who was replaced in August, has never commented on the issue.
Vice Mayor Jason Lee, who chairs the Audit Committee that investigated the matter, offered thanks Tuesday to Mayor Christina Fugazi and fellow council members for support of DEI. He urged that any new DEI officer report directly to Ford, instead of to the head of Human Resources, to ensure fairness in hiring to all.
“We need to get an individual in here accountable to you and this council, to bring life to the commitment that we’ve made for all people,” Lee said.
Councilmember Mario Enríquez, who joined Lee in championing the importance of DEI, said the council was left unaware last year that the DEI office had been dismantled. He called it a “stain on our behalf” as a council.
Now, with the new position, Enríquez expressed enthusiasm. “I’m all in,” he said.
Fugazi said she was an early supporter of DEI, dating back to 2020 when she spearheaded a city resolution with then-Councilmember Dan Wright to “move racial justice, equity,
diversity and inclusion forward” in order to “dismantle racial inequities and advance equitable outcomes.” At the time the agenda item was discussed, no action was taken.
The mayor said DEI is still an important effort for the city, noting: “We just have to make sure everyone has a seat at the table.”