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Stockton residents urge council to reject reappointing interim city manager; supporters push back
Summary
Public commenters told Stockton City Council to reject a contract extension for interim City Manager Steve Colangelo, alleging misuse of DEI funds, secret consulting deals and cronyism; supporters defended Colangelo’s local ties and budget work. The council removed the item from consent and did not reappoint him tonight.
Hundreds of residents who turned out for the Stockton City Council meeting on Aug. 12 urged the council not to reappoint interim City Manager Steve Colangelo, saying his brief tenure raised concerns about qualifications, hiring practices and finances.
Tamika Small opened the public comment segment by telling the council, “I urge you to vote no on the reappointment of mister Colangelo,” saying he was “not qualified” for the job and alleging he used “$22,000 of DEI funds to pay for an advisor.” Julie Dunning added that Colangelo had signed a consulting contract with Lathrop’s city manager and accused his actions of being “deceptive,” urging council members not to extend his contract or to fire the city attorney in relation to the controversy.
The comments reflected a months‑long, highly polarized debate that has split residents and civic groups. Opponents repeatedly used the words “cronyism” and “conflict of interest,” and warned of a potential mass exodus of experienced city staff if the council reappointed Colangelo. “Reappointing Mr. Colangelo would not put the people first or move Stockton forward,” Small said.
At the same time, several speakers urged the council to keep Colangelo. Anthony Silva, a former mayor, called Colangelo “a devoted husband, father, successful business owner” and said the city needs “someone who understands the challenges we face.” Bob Bentz and Eric Eisenhammer—speaking for local taxpayer‑oriented organizations—credited Colangelo with balancing a $15.2 million shortfall without tapping reserves and with addressing a broken payroll system.
Council procedural action reflected the split: staff and the mayor removed the Colangelo item from the consent calendar for separate consideration, and public comment on the matter was reopened so neighbors on both sides could speak. The agenda item was not adopted at this meeting; council did not reappoint Colangelo during the Aug. 12 session.
Next steps: the council left the agenda item off the consent calendar for later consideration and directed staff to follow normal procedures for any formal personnel action. Several residents said they would remain engaged ahead of any future votes.
