Christina Fugazi sworn in as Stockton mayor; new council vows focus on safety, youth and housing
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Summary
Christina Fugazi took the oath as Stockton’s mayor at an inaugural ceremony that also swore in three new council members. Fugazi and newly sworn council members prioritized public safety, youth programs and affordable housing and won unanimous early votes to set committee rosters and immediate study sessions on procurement and developer funding.
Christina Fugazi was sworn in as mayor of Stockton on Jan. 7 at a ceremony at the Bob Hope Theater and used her inaugural remarks to outline priorities including public safety, youth investment, housing affordability and procurement transparency.
“I stand before you tonight with immense gratitude,” Fugazi said, thanking family, campaign volunteers and elected officials. She told the audience the new council would pursue “transparent governance” and put residents’ needs first. Fugazi also requested short public updates from department directors so new council members and the public understand ongoing projects.
The evening included the swearing-in of Mario Enriquez (District 4), Jason Lee (District 6) and Maria La Ponce (District 2). In their remarks, the new council members emphasized youth programs, recreational investments and public-safety initiatives. Jason Lee called for restoring neighborhood substations and pledged to seek county and state funding for public-safety work. Mario Enriquez highlighted parks, recreation and stricter requirements that developers pay for necessary infrastructure. Councilwoman La Ponce thanked supporters and listed housing, crime reduction and school support among her priorities.
Fugazi and new council members repeatedly framed public-safety work around partnerships with police and community-based prevention. Fugazi said the city must rebuild trust and deliver results, and Lee said he would pursue local, county and state resources: “I will be going to the county and the state and everybody that I can reach who has money to get money for my district,” he said.
The mayor and council also noted Measure M revenue as a funding source for parks and recreation; Lee said the city took in “more than $15,000,000” in Measure M funds earmarked for libraries and recreation.
The inauguration included an invocation by Bishop Dockery, a Pledge of Allegiance, extended public comment and remarks from dozens of community leaders and nonprofit representatives who urged the council to prioritize affordable housing, youth services and accountability for nonprofit and developer spending.
The council moved quickly from ceremony to business: in early votes that followed the oath-taking, the council unanimously approved a vice mayor appointment and committee rosters and agreed to schedule study sessions on procurement and developer funding (see related article). The meeting closed with a request for department briefings and a moment of silence for a firefighter killed in the line of duty.
The council said next steps will include the study sessions and further public-agenda items on substations and community safety. The city will publish agendas and staff reports for forthcoming meetings with those items.
