City clerk alleges retaliation at City Hall

Stockton City Clerk Katherine Roland said this week that two councilmembers tried to set a closed-door meeting to discipline or remove her after she reported alleged interference in the city’s June 2 primary election. Roland described the effort in an email reviewed by Stocktonia and said it came after then-City Attorney Marci Arredondo warned the council that Roland could be treated as a whistleblower because she had reported possible election interference. A special meeting set for Monday, Aug. 4, to consider the discipline, dismissal or release of a public employee and the appointment of a city clerk was later canceled, according to meeting records and local reporting. Stockton’s city website shows the next regular council meeting is scheduled for Aug. 11. ### Who does Roland say tried to move against her? Katherine Roland wrote that two councilmembers emailed her at 5:11 p.m. Friday asking her to arrange a special closed-door meeting for Monday, according to Stocktonia’s account of the email. Roland said the stated subject was possible discipline, dismissal or release of the city clerk, and she said the councilmembers also tried to direct two city staff members to work over the weekend to make sure the meeting happened. (stocktonia.org) Roland said she responded that only the mayor, the vice mayor in the mayor’s absence, or a majority of the council can call a special closed-door meeting. Stockton’s website says the city operates under a city manager-council form of government, and Stocktonia reported that Roland said only the city manager can direct city staff. ### What was on the canceled Aug. 4 agenda? (stocktonia.org) The Aug. 4 special meeting agenda listed two closed-session items: consideration of the discipline, dismissal or release of a public employee, and consideration of the appointment of a city clerk, according to local reporting that reproduced the agenda details. The agenda did not publicly identify the employee, citing California rules that allow some personnel matters to be discussed in closed session without naming the employee. (stocktonia.org) The Stockton Record reported, in a version republished by Blue Water Healthy Living, that the meeting was scheduled for 9 a.m. on Aug. 4 before it was canceled. Stocktonia separately reported that Roland viewed the attempted meeting as retaliation tied to her election-related complaint. ### What election-interference complaint is this tied to? (bluewaterhealthyliving.com) Marci Arredondo, who was city attorney at the time, told the council in July that Roland could qualify as a whistleblower because she had reported an alleged attempt to interfere with the June primary, Stocktonia reported. The warning said any action against Roland could be viewed as retaliation, according to that report. (bluewaterhealthyliving.com) A June 15 email described by the Stockton Record said Roland accused Mayor Christina Fugazi’s public information officer, Jason Teramoto, of pressuring her in her role as elections official. Roland said Teramoto came to her office on April 22 with questions about the ballot designation for District 1 candidate Tamica Small and asked her to take action after the period to dispute ballot designations had closed. Roland wrote that she told him such a move would be inappropriate and that she had to remain unbiased in running the election. (stocktonia.org) ### What has Teramoto said about the allegations? Jason Teramoto previously denied the allegations. Stocktonia reported that Teramoto said the claims had “zero merit” and called them “yet another distraction from the reality of what the mayor is doing in Stockton.” Vice Mayor Jason Lee had raised similar concerns earlier. Stocktonia reported that emails from Lee’s lawyer to the city said Lee alleged Teramoto asked the clerk’s office to change Tamica Small’s ballot designation or candidate statement and told Roland to “be creative” after his request was rejected. (bluewaterhealthyliving.com) ### Why does the city clerk’s role matter here? (stocktonia.org) The City of Stockton says the clerk’s office manages official records, provides public access to city information and serves as a public information resource to the council. The city’s elections page says the June 2026 primary covered council seats in Districts 1, 3 and 5, all with terms running from Jan. 1, 2027, through Dec. 31, 2030. Stockton’s city website lists Mayor Christina Fugazi and councilmembers representing six districts, including Jason Lee as vice mayor. (stocktonia.org) Several of those offices were on the June ballot, according to the city elections page. ### What happens next at City Hall? The City of Stockton’s public calendar lists the next regularly scheduled City Council meeting for Aug. 11 at 1 p.m. The city’s meetings page says agendas are posted by 5 p.m. on the Friday before a Tuesday council meeting, providing the next public marker for any discussion involving Roland, the clerk’s office or the election-interference allegations. (stocktonca.gov) (stocktonca.gov)