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Lodi council approves $600,000 cap for outside counsel, orders accounting review as residents demand answers
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Summary
The Lodi City Council voted Sept. 3 to authorize an amended contract for outside legal services related to ongoing personnel investigations and to hire Hazlett Forensics for a focused accounting review. Public speakers urged transparency as residents and council members questioned why much of the work had already been billed.
The Lodi City Council on Sept. 3 approved two measures intended to finish an internal personnel review and strengthen financial oversight.
Council adopted Amendment No. 3 to the city’s agreement with law firm Myers Nave, raising the not‑to‑exceed limit on services related to employment and personnel investigations to $600,000. Acting city staff told council expenses stood at $525,000 as of Aug. 30 and the amendment adds $75,000 to reach the new cap. Council members stressed the goal is a timely closure to the probe.
The council also authorized a separate professional services agreement with Hazlett Forensics for an accounting review not to exceed $45,000. City staff described the Hazlett engagement as a targeted review—focused on utility deposit holding accounts, CalCard transactions and the city’s Amazon Business account—intended to confirm compliance with existing policies and recommend controls. Hazlett’s representative said the initial scope would examine a two‑year sample and expand if the review identifies issues.
Public speakers pressed for both completeness and transparency during the open‑session discussion. Dan Lane, who said he has more than 50 years in local law enforcement and serves as a chaplain with the Lodi Police Department, urged the council to ‘‘get to the point where all the facts are revealed,’’ adding, ‘‘Facts are stubborn things…they cannot alter the states of facts and evidence.’’ Other business owners and residents emphasized that adequate review could prevent more costly litigation later.
Several council members rebuked the process that allowed expenditures beyond previously authorized limits, saying that accountability and internal controls had been insufficient while also acknowledging that stopping the work now could leave unresolved questions. One councilmember characterized the final $75,000 as necessary to conclude the investigation and produce a report; another said the council would not support further unplanned spending beyond the amendment.
The motions to approve the Myers Nave amendment and the Hazlett Forensics contract passed on roll‑call votes. The council recorded unanimous votes for both items on the night’s consent and business calendar.
What happens next: city staff said they expect the Hazlett review to take about three months and the legal investigation to conclude soon; councilmembers asked staff to maximize the amount of factual information made public, subject to legal constraints.
