The Stockton City Council has unanimously decided to appoint Johnny Ford as the new city manager after not having a permanent one for nearly a year.
“After a thorough search, we found that the right person for Stockton was one of our own,” said Mayor Christina Fugazi in a statement on Tuesday.
Ford is no stranger to the Stockton government. He previously served as deputy city manager beginning in 2003 to 2009, when he was fired by then-City Manager Gordon Palmer.
Palmer accused Ford of using his position to get free tickets to events at Stockton Arena. The city council formed an ad-hoc committee to investigate the allegations and later cleared Ford of any wrongdoing.
He then went on to serve as deputy city manager and city manager of Compton.
The three-year contract with Ford states that he will receive a $325,000 base salary with monthly allowances for work-related car and technology expenses.
His official start date begins this Wednesday.
The Stockton city manager role became vacant in January of this year after Harry Black resigned. The city council then voted to appoint Steve Colangelo as interim city manager, who is currently facing an investigation into accusations of misconduct.
Fugazi is hoping that Ford’s return will help deliver more stability to Stockton government moving forward.
“I believe this choice reflects our combined desire to bring experience, stability, and steady leadership back to the City of Stockton,” Fugazi said.
