Stockton council dissolves city‑manager ad hoc amid allegations; members ask DA and grand jury to investigate

Mayor Christina Fugazi dissolved the city‑manager ad hoc committee on June 6 after receiving legal advice that some committee communications raised questions under the Brown Act, she said at the July 15 City Council meeting.

The ad hoc had been created in February to help identify and vet candidates for the permanent city manager. Vice Mayor Jason Lee and Councilmember Mario Enriquez were added to the ad hoc by the mayor; the mayor said she retained charter authority to select and nominate finalists and — after consulting the city attorney — she decided in early June she no longer wanted the ad hoc’s assistance.

The decision prompted heated public comment and a lengthy council debate. Several residents and speakers urged a formal investigation, saying the ad hoc’s abrupt dissolution and subsequent public statements had undermined trust in the process. Julie Dunning, a resident, asked the council to “open the wound, air it out and provide an opportunity to heal,” saying constituents deserved transparency.

Lee and Enriquez both denied misconduct. Enriquez read an email the mayor had sent to the city attorney, which cited concerns that at least one ad‑hoc member had discussed the interim city manager and future appointment with council members outside a public meeting. Enriquez said he welcomed any investigation “to clear my name.” Lee called for an investigation and said he also supported referring the matter to outside authorities so taxpayers would not bear the cost.

Councilmember Villapadua said he had received a May 27 phone call from Enriquez and separately met with Lee, during which he said the other members discussed replacing the interim city manager; Villapadua said that those conversations, if coordinated outside a public meeting, would raise Brown Act concerns and warranted review.

City Attorney guidance, cited publicly by the mayor, said the mayor has nomination authority under the Stockton charter and that the mayor could end the ad hoc if she no longer sought its assistance. Still, several council members asked that the matter be referred to the San Joaquin County District Attorney and the civil grand jury for an independent review; the mayor said she would support outside review and also suggested the grand jury and DA were proper forums to resolve competing claims.

The council did not take a formal investigatory vote at the meeting; several members said they intended to refer the allegations to outside prosecutors and the civil grand jury and to seek charter‑policy clarifications in future legislative committee meetings. The mayor said the city manager recruitment was continuing with an outside search firm and that the timeline and process for interviews and finalist selection would be shared publicly.

Next steps: multiple council members asked staff to bring charter and council‑policy language on ad‑hoc creation and dissolution to the legislative committee for review; several members also said they would ask the district attorney and civil grand jury to investigate the alleged Brown Act matters.