Stockton City Council decided to remove Jason Lee's title as Vice Mayor during Tuesday night's city council meeting, rejecting his announced resignation from the position. Lee left the chambers before the vote, indicating he needed to catch a flight to the East Coast.
The council's decision comes after a 6-1 vote earlier in the same meeting to remove Lee from the audit committee, which is responsible for overseeing the city's finances. City records cited concerns leading to his removal from the committee. Following these actions, Mayor Christina Fugazi has also proposed removing Lee from additional council committees and replacing him with other councilmembers.
Despite the removal of his vice mayor title, Lee will continue to serve as a councilmember for District 6 through 2028.
Prior to Tuesday's meeting, Lee released a statement through a public relations firm, asserting his position regarding the vice mayor role. He stated that the Council had "unanimously ratified my appointment as Vice Mayor through December 31, 2026, as the City Charter provides." Lee also pointed out that the City's own staff report acknowledged that its reconsideration procedures do not, on their own, authorize removing a sitting Vice Mayor. He asked the City Attorney to identify in writing the legal authority for these actions, emphasizing that "residents deserve a clear answer." Lee further conveyed that his commitment to District 6 "has never depended on a title," and he intended to continue his work. He suggested that the council's time would be better spent implementing the Civil Grand Jury's recommendations and cooperating fully with the State Controller's audit.
Mayor Christina Fugazi had originally nominated Lee to be vice mayor. The council unanimously approved his appointment for January 2025, while his current term as vice mayor is set to conclude on December 31 of this year. Lee has been involved in several public disputes with the council.
Keith Smith, a political science professor at the University of the Pacific, commented on the council's authority in such matters. Smith stated that the council has the power to make such a decision. He further explained that the city attorney would be the person to provide legal advice on the matter. According to Smith, the council may charge the city attorney to answer the question of legal authority and then bring it back for discussion at a subsequent council meeting, potentially leading to a vote on removal, depending on the attorney's advice.