Stockton’s Grand Jury Report Is Out
This morning, the San Joaquin County Civil Grand Jury released its 2025–26 Final Report, and two of its sections look squarely at the City of Stockton. The findings are serious, and they point directly toward reforms worth organizing around.
What the Grand Jury found
A leadership vacuum at City Hall for most of 2025, with no permanent City Manager through a resignation, a contested interim appointment, and a permanent hire only in November.
Council members are interfering directly with City staff in violation of City Charter §408 — the report ties to turnover and real costs to taxpayers.
A spring 2026 funding vote in which a Council majority set aside its own staff’s professional, independently-confirmed rankings.
No local limit on campaign contributions, and a still-unadopted election-transparency ordinance, the Grand Jury has now recommended across multiple cycles.
A repeated failure to respond to Grand Jury oversight in the way state law requires. The City’s most recent response addressed only three of six open items.
The good news: the report hands us a blueprint
The Grand Jury recommends concrete, deadline-bound reforms: an independent Ethics Commission modeled on Sacramento’s, a local campaign-contribution-limit ordinance like those in San Francisco, Oakland, and Los Angeles, and the long-overdue election-transparency ordinance. Each of these strengthens local democracy, and each is something we can champion.
Join us at our June membership meeting
At our monthly membership meeting on Monday, June 29, we’ll discuss the report together and consider a resolution affirming a Stockton Democrats Together advocacy campaign in support of these reforms. This is your chance to help shape how our club leads on accountability heading into a pivotal election year.
Monday, June 29, 2026 | 6:00 PM
Round Table Pizza
2819 West March Lane, Stockton, CA 95219
Come ready to discuss, ask questions, and weigh in. Read the report beforehand if you can. Your voice will help define the campaign we build.
We hope to see you there.
