For the second time in five days, the Stockton City Council emerged from a closed-session discussion Tuesday without publicly naming an acting city clerk during City Clerk Katherine Roland’s continuing absence.
The council met behind closed doors during its regular Tuesday meeting for a “Public Employee Appointment” involving the position of acting city clerk. After the council returned, Interim City Attorney Donald Larkin said there was no reportable action from the closed session.
The result leaves unresolved who will formally oversee the City Clerk’s Office while Roland remains temporarily absent.
Tuesday marked the council’s second closed-session discussion since Friday specifically focused on appointing an acting city clerk. During a special meeting Friday, councilmembers spent nearly an hour behind closed doors considering the same position before Larkin similarly announced there was “nothing to report out.”
City spokesperson Tony Mannor previously told Stocktonia that an acting clerk was needed “to ensure continuity of operations during a temporary absence by the City Clerk.” The city has not said when Roland’s absence began, why she is absent or when she is expected to return.
The city’s Aug. 18 agenda continued to identify Roland as Stockton’s city clerk. No candidate for the acting position was identified on the agenda.
The repeated closed-session discussions come amid mounting questions about Roland’s employment and the leadership of an office responsible for administering Stockton’s elections.
Lee alleged the offer was made without City Council authorization. Stocktonia has not independently reviewed records confirming that the offer was made or that Arredondo directed it.
Stocktonia was unable to immediately reach Arredondo for comment Tuesday. Her State Bar profile does not list a telephone number or email address.
Councilmember Michael Blower said he had not been informed about the offer, while other councilmembers contacted Tuesday had not responded.
Stocktonia has been unable to reach Roland since Aug. 1 despite attempts by email, phone and in person.
City officials have not provided a substantive response to Lee’s allegations. Mannor told Stocktonia Tuesday that he would contact the appropriate city offices to gather information.
Questions surrounding Roland’s position began before the two acting-clerk meetings.
On July 31, Councilmember Michele Padilla requested a special closed-session discussion involving possible “discipline/dismissal/release” of the city clerk. Councilmembers Brando Villapudua and Mariela Ponce later supported the request, according to emails previously obtained by Stocktonia.
Roland characterized that effort as retaliatory. Then-City Attorney Arredondo had previously warned councilmembers that taking adverse action against Roland close in time to her request for an investigation into alleged election interference could expose the city to a whistleblower retaliation claim.
That July 31 meeting did not take place. Mayor Christina Fugazi later called an Aug. 4 special meeting that included closed-session items involving possible discipline, dismissal or release of a public employee and the appointment of a city clerk, but the meeting was canceled before the council convened.
The council’s subsequent meetings Friday and Tuesday narrowed the personnel item to the appointment of an acting city clerk. Neither has resulted in a publicly announced appointment.