A divided city council has hired former San Joaquin County Fairgrounds CEO Steve Colangelo to serve as interim city manager of Stockton.
Colangelo’s contract was approved Tuesday in a 4-3 vote. He takes the reins from former city manager Harry Black, who abruptly resigned on Jan. 9.
The council majority used parliamentary rules to get an immediate vote on the contract. That upset some members of the council, who raised questions about Colangelo’s qualifications for city management, as well as his performance as CEO of the troubled Fairgrounds.
The meeting became heated at times, with some council members and constituents complaining about a lack of transparency.
The contract was ultimately approved by Michele Padilla, Mariela Ponce, Jason Lee and Mayor Christina Fugazi. Councilmembers Michael Blower, Mario Enriquez and Brando Villapudua voted no.
At the same meeting, the council approved censure proceedings against Villapudua. He's accused of flipping someone off at a prior meeting.
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