Like being ‘held hostage’: Stockton residents wait hours for marathon City Council meeting

STOCKTON CITY COUNCIL’S closed session stretched late into Tuesday evening, concluding just after 8 p.m., delaying the start of its public meeting by hours and prompting frustration among attendees.

The extended closed-door meeting — where councilmembers discuss sensitive matters such as employment issues or litigation shielded from public view — kept residents and city staff waiting nearly three hours past the scheduled 5:30 p.m. start of the public session.