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Fugazi, in Stockton State of the City, touts public-safety partnerships, park reopenings and fiscal progress
Summary
Mayor Christina Fugazi used Stockton's State of the City to highlight public-safety partnerships, a new smoke-shop ordinance, the Light Up Stockton street-lighting initiative, next-week reopening of McKinley Park with a pool, progress on levee repairs, and multiple employee recognitions. No formal council votes were recorded at the event.
Mayor Christina Fugazi delivered Stockton's 2025 State of the City address at a Greater Stockton Chamber event, detailing public-safety initiatives, infrastructure work and steps to stabilize the city's finances while honoring long-serving municipal employees.
'We came into this year focused on action, not just promises,' Fugazi said, listing priorities that included a newly developed smoke-shop ordinance intended to 'better protect our neighborhoods, especially our youth' and a citywide lighting effort called Light Up Stockton to improve public safety and community life. She also announced that McKinley Park will reopen next week with a new pool, sports fields and upgraded recreation amenities.
The mayor framed public safety as a top priority. She said the Stockton Police Department has partnered with the county sheriff's office, the district attorney's office, the CHP, the ATF, the FBI and U.S. Marshals on coordinated operations 'focused on reducing gang violence and getting guns off our street.' Fugazi highlighted a joint-powers approach for some emergency services, including a recent JPA formed with neighboring jurisdictions to strengthen regional response.
Fugazi also emphasized partnerships aimed at cleaning public spaces while providing work opportunities: Stockton 209 Cares (which she said primarily hires people experiencing homelessness), Greater Valley Conservation Corp (youth employment) and Ready to Work (employment for people exiting incarceration) were cited as collaborators on park and street clean-up programs.
On finances, Fugazi said work under interim city manager Steve Coangelo is aimed at 'getting our financial house in order' and that 'this council will not put us back into bankruptcy.' She credited state and federal partners with progress on levee repairs to protect homes and the local economy.
The event included a formal land acknowledgement by Destiny Rivas of the Stockton Unified Native American Indian Center: 'The city of Stockton acknowledges that the land and water that occupy this area sits on ancestral, unceded territory of the North Valley Miwok and the Central Valley Yokuts,' Rivas said before introducing an elder to offer a blessing.
Fugazi used most of her remarks to recognize city staff across departments. Councilmembers and the mayor presented awards to multiple employees, including Rosie Alvarez (deputy director of public works), Jeff Vanover (plant maintenance mechanic), Florence Lowe (longtime administrative staffer), Brandon Sapulveda (finance team), Captain Kevin Taylor (Stockton Fire Department) and Officer Robert Johnson III (Stockton Police Department). In his remarks, Captain Taylor recalled the 2022 death of fellow firefighter Vidal Max Fortuna and described the department's heavy workload.
There were no formal council votes reported during the program. The mayor closed by urging unity and civic pride, saying Stockton is "moving forward together."
