Stockton Mayor Christina Fugazi and Council member Michele Padilla held a news conference Wednesday at City Hall following the removal of District 6 Council member Jason Lee from the Audit Committee and the revocation of his vice mayor title.
The Stockton City Council voted 6-1 Tuesday to remove Lee from his position as chair of the Audit Committee. Padilla now serves as the chair of the committee.
The item to remove Lee from the Audit Committee was placed on the agenda by Fugazi.
The proposed roaster initially omitted Lee, who represents District 6, from committees and boards, leaving the area without representation.
At the news conference, Fugazi said Lee will continue serving on his previous committees, just not the Audit Committee.
Why was Lee removed from the Audit Committee?
Fugazi said
the Audit Committee is responsible for internal controls and the city’s financial responsibility, accountability.
Lee is accused of mismanagement after he signed three checks from his nonprofit, Hollywood Cares Foundation, made payable to the city of Stockton that were returned for insufficient funds.
Copies of the checks distributed during the news conference showed one check written in July 2025 for National Night Out in the amount of $1,930; another for Toys for Joy, dated Dec. 22, 2025, for $1,095; and a third check for National Night Out dated July 16, for $1,930.
Fugazi said that, given the amount of the checks involved, Lee’s actions could constitute a felony. She said she first became aware of the checks in late September or early October.
At the council meeting, Lee asked Sharon Dhillon-Ghio, the city’s revenue officer, to come to the podium and asked how much Hollywood Cares Foundation currently owed the city.
Dhillon-Ghio said the organization did not owe any money. She said the longest period of time Lee ever took to repay the funds owed to the city once he was notified was three weeks.
Fugazi was asked by members of the media why the issue remained a concern if the checks had been repaid.
“So, you break the law, and you pay for it, but does that negate that you broke the law?” Fugazi said. “I don’t think so.”
Lee said he was not going to fight a decision the council had the right to make.
“We are talking about $4,955 of an account that has brought millions of dollars to this city,” Lee said during the council meeting.
“This is politics at play,” he said. He also questioned why committee assignments were being changed just before an election.
Council revokes vice mayor title
The council also voted 4-2 during the meeting to revoke Lee’s title of vice mayor.
When Fugazi made the motion to remove Lee as vice mayor, it was seconded by Brando Villapudua. Council members Michele Padilla, Mariela Ponce and Villapudua joined Fugazi in voting yes. Council members Michael Blower and Mario Enríquez voted no.
Before the vote, Lee announced his resignation as vice mayor, but a majority of the council rejected it.
Many residents criticized the council's decision, questioning the possible risk of removing Lee’s title.
Interim City Attorney Donald Larkin said there is a small legal risk, if the council rescinded its appointment.
When asked why the council would expose the city to potential legal risk, Fugazi called the point “moot.”
“First of all, I can't understand why a sitting council member would sue the city they represent and going after taxpayer dollars,” she said.
She added, “By the time it gets to a judge and gets to a hearing, we're all going to be at January 1st. They won't be vice mayor anymore at that point either.”
At the news conference, Fugazi said she had made Lee an offer to allow him to resign before putting the matter on the agenda. She said she was told no by Lee. Fugazi said if Lee’s resignation would have been accepted it left him with the opportunity to take it back.
She added, “We need to send a very clear message that there are consequences for our behavior."
It's unclear when Fugazi will appoint another vice mayor.
“There is no timeline on or requirement as to when I am to appoint a vice mayor,” she said.
Padilla said Tuesday night’s vote was the first step in stopping the “bullying” behavior that has been occurring on the council.
Fugazi followed the statement by saying, “We took care of business yesterday in our meeting.”
Record reporter Victoria Franco covers public safety in Stockton and San Joaquin County. She can be reached at vfranco@gannett.com. Support local journalism by subscribing to The Stockton Record at Subscribe to The Stockton Record.
This article originally appeared on The Record: Stockton mayor defends removal of Jason Lee from Audit Committee, vice mayor role
