When Stockton hired a new interim city manager with no experience in civic operations, city councilmembers assured the public their new pick was qualified to take on the role.
Just a few days later, and without council approval, he hired an $11,000-a-month consultant to help him do his job, according to public documents obtained by Stocktonia.
That’s on top of the more than $20,000 salary interim City Manager Steve Colangelo is being paid each month.
The contract — which was signed without council approval and was issued without taking competitive bids — went to a consultant who also has a full-time job: Lathrop City Manager Stephen J. Salvatore.
Colangelo was hired as Stockton’s interim city manager in February despite concerns from the community and some councilmembers that he wasn’t qualified for the job. A career events manager, Colangelo had been CEO of the San Joaquin County Fairgrounds but had never worked in city management.
Those concerns were tempered with assurances by some on the City Council, including Stockton Mayor Christina Fugazi and Vice Mayor Jason Lee, that Colangelo was the right choice for the position and would only serve as Stockton’s city manager temporarily until a permanent replacement could be found.
“Steve isn’t a career bureaucrat, and that’s exactly why he’s the right choice for Stockton,” Fugazi said in a press release announcing Colangelo’s appointment. “His deep commitment to our city and proven leadership make him the best person to take on this critical role.”
However, city documents and emails obtained by Stocktonia through a public records request show that less than 10 days after beginning his tenure with the city, Colangelo sent a memo notifying the city attorney that he would be hiring a career bureaucrat, Salvatore, “in an advisory role, providing strategic guidance … on best practices in municipal management.”
Salvatore has worked for Lathrop for nearly two decades, a majority of which has been spent as city manager. Lathrop, located in south San Joaquin County, is about one-eighth the size of Stockton. …
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Cassie Dickman 