Less than 12 hours after one of the most controversial Stockton council meetings of the year, Vice Mayor Jason Lee on Thursday formally requested a state audit of Stockton’s finances, escalating a conflict that began the night before, when the City Council unanimously voted to forward concerns over the potential misuse of public funds to state and county investigators.
In a Thursday morning press release, Lee said the unanimous vote shows a “shared commitment to ensuring that taxpayer resources are governed with the highest level of integrity and responsibility.”
He added that fiscal accountability and transparency “are obligations we owe to every resident of Stockton.”
A unanimous vote after explosive debate
The request came on the heels of a turbulent special meeting Wednesday night, called to examine allegations that former interim City Manager Steve Colangelo promised nearly $1 million in city funds to Service First of Northern California as part of a state behavioral-health grant without council approval…