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A public rift emerges as the Stockton Mayor and Vice Mayor clash over a performance review of the new City Manager placed on an upcoming council agenda.
STOCKTON, Calif — A public rift between Stockton Mayor Christina Fugazi and Vice Mayor Jason Lee has emerged over the placement of a performance evaluation for newly hired City Manager Johnny Ford on an upcoming City Council agenda.
In a social media post, Fugazi said she had received “numerous calls and messages” from residents alarmed by the agenda item, noting that Ford has been in the role for only about six weeks, or 29 working days. She said she saw no public explanation that would justify a performance review so early in his tenure.
“For transparency, this item was placed on the agenda by Vice Mayor Jason Lee, along with Councilmembers Mario Enriquez and Michael Blower,” Fugazi wrote. She added that she has “full confidence” in Ford and would not support actions she believes could “unfairly target or destabilize his leadership.”
The mayor also referenced what she described as broader concerns from residents about “a continuing pattern of coordinated decisions” that she said disrupt the normal functioning of City Hall. Fugazi said her role as mayor is to protect the integrity of the institution and ensure decisions are guided by fairness and transparency rather than political maneuvering.
Vice Mayor Jason Lee responded separately with his own social media statement, focusing on his recent discussions with the city manager. Lee said he spent two hours speaking with Ford about public safety concerns that have circulated online, particularly while Lee was on vacation following a recent mass shooting.
Lee said he came away “encouraged,” describing Ford as optimistic, knowledgeable, and focused on accountability and public safety. “I can say confidently that he is the most knowledgeable and focused City Manager we’ve had,” Lee wrote, adding that the conversation gave him hope for Stockton’s direction.
Lee also said he plans to meet with Ford and the city’s police chief on Tuesday to review current public safety strategies and determine what resources the City Council needs to provide. He emphasized that public safety is a responsibility, not a talking point, and said he remains committed to asking difficult questions and working with city leadership.
The dispute escalated in the comment section of Lee’s post. In response to a resident who accused the mayor of taking a “transparent swipe” at Lee and the two councilmembers over the agenda item, and who asked for clarification about why the performance review was scheduled, Lee replied directly: “clarity: she’s lying.”
As of the latest posts, no further explanation has been publicly provided about the specific purpose of the agenda item or whether any action regarding the city manager is expected.
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