The Stockton City Council will consider appointing two longtime city employees to lead the City Clerk’s Office in succession following the resignation of Bonnie Paige, extending months of leadership instability in an office responsible for overseeing municipal elections and maintaining official city records.
Under a proposal scheduled for Tuesday’s meeting, councilmembers would appoint Supervising Deputy City Clerk Gabriel Searcy to serve from Nov. 7 through Nov. 22, followed by Assistant City Clerk Allison Lambertson beginning Nov. 23 until Stockton hires a permanent replacement.
The proposed appointments would bring another leadership transition to an office that has experienced internal disputes, allegations involving elected officials and the departures of two city clerks in less than three months.
Paige, who returned to City Hall in September after nearly a decade in retirement, submitted her resignation Oct. 22, less than six weeks after taking the position. Her departure took effect Nov. 6.
In an email previously obtained by Stocktonia, Paige told Mayor Christina Fugazi and councilmembers that she no longer believed she was the right person for the job.
“Things are very different here in the city of Stockton, which I expected, as change is inevitable as time goes on and the city grows,” Paige wrote.
She did not identify a specific incident that prompted her decision but said she had considered leaving for several days.
The City Council appointed Paige in a 6-0 vote Sept. 15, bringing back a former city clerk who served from 2011 to 2017 and spent more than 28 years working for Stockton.
Her appointment followed the resignation of Katherine Roland, who announced Aug. 31 that she would leave the position effective Sept. 26 after weeks of uncertainty over her employment.
The City Clerk’s Office oversees municipal elections, maintains official records, prepares meeting agendas and ensures public access to government proceedings. The city clerk is one of four charter officers appointed directly by the City Council, alongside the city manager, city attorney and city auditor.
Now, the city is proposing another temporary arrangement while its search for permanent leadership continues.
Who are the proposed interim clerks?
Searcy currently serves as Stockton’s supervising deputy city clerk for operations and has worked for the city since at least 2015, according to public payroll records.
He initially held administrative positions before moving into the City Clerk’s Office, where he became a deputy city clerk in 2019 and later advanced to senior deputy city clerk and supervising deputy city clerk.
Searcy also appeared in internal communications previously obtained by Stocktonia during the controversy surrounding Roland’s employment.
In August, Fugazi directed Searcy to ensure that a special City Council meeting agenda was posted while Roland was absent. The meeting included a closed-session discussion of possible disciplinary action against or dismissal of a public employee but was canceled before councilmembers convened.
Lambertson, meanwhile, has worked in Stockton’s City Clerk’s Office since September 2019, according to her LinkedIn profile.
She joined the office as a senior deputy city clerk, became supervising deputy city clerk in September 2021 and advanced to assistant city clerk in January 2025.
Before joining the office, Lambertson worked as a field representative for the Stanislaus County Board of Supervisors from 2014 to 2019. She previously served as a property clerk for the City of Stockton from 2012 to 2014 and earned a bachelor’s degree in political science from the University of California, Irvine, in 2010.
Lambertson has also assumed leadership responsibilities during the city clerk’s absences. In January, Roland told Stocktonia that Lambertson stepped in whenever she was unavailable.
Under Tuesday’s proposal, Searcy would return to his regular position Nov. 23, when Lambertson would assume the interim role until the council appoints a permanent city clerk.
Both employees would receive $93.12 per hour while serving as interim clerk, according to the staff report. City officials said the department’s existing budget has sufficient funds to cover their compensation.
The proposal does not explain why Stockton plans to appoint Searcy for approximately two weeks before transferring responsibility to Lambertson, rather than selecting one employee to oversee the office throughout the recruitment process.
Departures follow months of controversy
The latest leadership changes follow a turbulent period for the City Clerk’s Office, which has found itself at the center of disputes involving elected officials and allegations of political interference.
Roland, who joined Stockton in 2015 and became permanent city clerk in November 2024, resigned Aug. 31 after weeks of uncertainty surrounding her position and several closed-session discussions about her employment.
Before her departure, Roland had requested an investigation into allegations that Jason Teramoto, Fugazi’s public information officer, attempted to interfere with the June 2 primary election.
Teramoto previously denied the allegations, telling Stocktonia they had “zero merit.”
In July, then-City Attorney Marci Arredondo warned councilmembers that taking adverse employment action against Roland could expose Stockton to a retaliation claim because of her complaint.
Weeks later, Councilmembers Michele Padilla, Brando Villapudua and Mariela Ponce supported a request for a special closed-session meeting to discuss possible disciplinary action against or dismissal of the city clerk.
Roland characterized the effort as retaliation, although the available records do not establish that the councilmembers’ actions were connected to her allegations.
The controversy continued in October when Fugazi announced that an outside investigation had found insufficient evidence to substantiate allegations against Teramoto.
The city did not publicly release the investigative report, leaving questions about the evidence reviewed, the witnesses interviewed and the scope of the investigation.
Paige announced her resignation one week later, adding another departure to an office already navigating a period of uncertainty.
The turnover reflects broader concerns about instability at Stockton City Hall, where several top administrative positions have changed hands since the current council took office in January 2025.
A San Joaquin County civil grand jury report released in June identified council infighting, interference with city employees and turnover in key administrative positions as problems affecting Stockton’s government.
The report, titled “Governance in Turmoil,” found that councilmembers had interfered with city staff in violation of the City Charter and recommended additional training to clarify the responsibilities and limitations of elected officials.
The council will tackle those recommendations at a Monday meeting in which councilmembers are expected to discuss the city’s response to the grand jury report and provide direction to staff on addressing its recommendations.