City council could appoint acting city manager today
The Lodi City Council will hold a special closed session meeting at 5 p.m. to consider appointing an individual to take over administrative duties on a temporary basis in the wake of the fallout with City Manager Scott Carney.
The council spent nearly three hours interviewing two candidates in closed session last Tuesday, after which Mayor Cameron Bregman said he was "ecstatic" about both.
Carney was placed on administrative leave April 9, a week after he read a prepared statement during a council meeting alleging that city attorney Katie Lucchessi and city clerk Olivia Nashed edited staff reports without his knowledge or approval.
He claimed the pair redacted parts of his approved reports protect some employees, and that internal reviews of purchasing activity revealed evidence of widespread misuse of public funds and city credit cards to purchase personal items.
He added that there was resistance to his investigation among staff and that there was evidence the city had been failing as a steward of public trust.
Bregman ordered Carney to stop speaking before he could finish his statement during the April 2 meeting.
Bregman later said he stopped Carney from continuing because he began speaking about ongoing personnel investigations and a non-agendized item, which opened the city up to litigation that could cost "millions of taxpayer money."
The Brown Act forbids city staff and elected officials from discussing personnel matters that are not placed on an agenda.
The council appointed Parks, Recreation and Cultural Services director Christina Jaromay acting city manager on April 11, and Bregman said Carney's leave was expected to last 45 days. Bregman added the city would investigate Carney's claims of financial misappropriation while he was on leave.
The council hired Carney last May to replace former city manager Steve Schwabauer, who retired in 2023.
Prior to coming to Lodi, Carney served as the deputy director of administration for the California Department of Health Care Services for three years.
He also served at Stockton City Hall from 2014 to 2020 before taking a sabbatical.
Wednesday's meeting begins at 5 p.m. at Carnegie Forum, 315 W. Pine St. It will also be livestreamed at www.facebook.com/CityofLodi.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
2 hours ago
- Yahoo
Ben Mulroney calls out Parks Canada for "shameful decision" to not honour former PM
In this segment from today's "The Ben Mulroney Show", Ben discusses the current political landscape in Canada, focusing on Pierre Poilievre's anticipated victory in a by-election and the implications for his leadership. The conversation shifts to a controversial decision by Parks Canada regarding the honoring of former Prime Minister Brian Mulroney, which has sparked significant debate about legacy and recognition.
Yahoo
4 hours ago
- Yahoo
Ben Mulroney calls out Parks Canada for "shameful decision" to not honour former PM
In this segment from today's "The Ben Mulroney Show", Ben discusses the current political landscape in Canada, focusing on Pierre Poilievre's anticipated victory in a by-election and the implications for his leadership. The conversation shifts to a controversial decision by Parks Canada regarding the honoring of former Prime Minister Brian Mulroney, which has sparked significant debate about legacy and recognition.
Yahoo
14 hours ago
- Yahoo
Carney 'disappointed' by Air Canada impasse, urges both sides to reach a deal
OTTAWA — Prime Minister Mark Carney said Monday he's disappointed Air Canada and the union representing its flight attendants weren't able to reach a deal after eight months of negotiations. Carney said he is urging both sides to quickly resolve the situation causing major chaos for travellers. "We are in a situation where literally hundreds of thousands of Canadians and visitors to our country are being disrupted by this action," he said. Carney made the comments to reporters ahead of a meeting with Ontario Premier Doug Ford in Ottawa. Flight attendants went on strike early Saturday morning after talks broke down and the two sides failed to reach a deal on Friday. Jobs Minister Patty Hajdu referred the matter to the Canada Industrial Relations Board on Saturday in a bid to end the dispute through binding arbitration, saying the two parties remained too far apart to reach a deal on their own. "It was the judgment of both the union and the company that they were at an impasse. That's not my judgment, it's their judgment," Carney said Monday. He also said that Ottawa recognizes the "critical role that flight attendants play in keeping Canadians and their families safe as they travel," adding that it's "important that they're compensated equitably at all times." The union representing the flight attendants ignored Ottawa's back-to-work order over the weekend and launched a legal challenge against the move. On Monday morning the labour board declared the strike unlawful and ordered the union's leadership to tell its striking workers to go back to work. Following his meeting with Carney, Ford told reporters that everyone deserves a fair wage and that the final deal has to be in the best interest of the workers, the company and Canadians. Asked about the union's decision to initially defy the back-to-work order, Ford said it was up to the federal government to "make sure they sit down at the table." "That always happens when you have labour issues, but they'll work it out. It's happened before, and they'll get things moving," he said. — with files from Kyle Duggan This report by The Canadian Press was first published Aug. 18, 2025. Craig Lord, The Canadian Press
