San Joaquin Regional Transit District (RTD) bus drivers parked their buses Monday at Stockton’s Downtown Transit Center, temporarily halting service in support of Chief Executive Officer Alex Clifford, who was placed on paid administrative leave.
The work stoppage began around 10 a.m., when the San Joaquin Regional Transit District Board of Directors was scheduled to hold a special closed session.
The meeting agenda included three items: the discipline, dismissal or release of an unnamed public employee; appointment of an interim CEO; and a conference with labor negotiators regarding the interim CEO position.
Around noon, Mayor Christina Fugazi called for “the immediate restoration of all public transportation services following the suspension of operations by current San Joaquin RTD Chief Executive Director Alex Clifford.”
It was unclear why the mayor accused Clifford of halting operations. Members of the Amalgamated Transit Union (ATU) Local 256, which represents RTD workers, said they were exercising their right to express opinions to the board. The mayor’s office did not answer multiple calls seeking clarification.
Fugazi also serves as chair of the San Joaquin Council of Governments (SJCOG), which acts as the regional transportation planning agency and metropolitan planning organization for San Joaquin County. She plays a key part in decisions on Measure K funding, which has been a source of tension between SJCOG and RTD.
RTD and SJCOG have been in a dispute over funding since 2025. In October, RTD said SJCOG denied its $62 million funding request, while Fugazi said RTD failed to submit qualifying expenses. Clifford said RTD was preparing to sue SJCOG over the matter.
After an hours-long discussion in closed session, the board voted 3-2 to place Clifford on paid administrative leave. Aaron Edwards, Geneva Moorad and Derek Graves Jr. voted for the leave, while Board Chair Gary S. Giovanetti and Les Fong voted against it.
“Just to be clear, our CEO Alex Clifford has not been terminated,” Giovanetti told the boardroom after the report from closed session was read. “That will happen, perhaps it could happen, at our next regular board meeting.”
By 2 p.m., RTD said service was resuming and would be restored in phases.
“Teams are actively working to restore operations,” the agency said. “Riders should check RTD channels for the latest updates.”
RTD employs about 342 people and serves much of Stockton. The agency had an annual ridership of 2,586,620 in 2024.
Vote to put CEO on leave followed board shakeup
The San Joaquin Regional Transit District is governed by a five-member board of directors. The current members are Giovanetti, Fong, Edwards, Moorad and Graves Jr.
Edwards, Moorad and Graves Jr. were appointed to the board in January and Monday marked Edwards’ and Moorad’s first meeting. Giovanetti joined in 2008, and Fong first joined in 2009.
The San Joaquin County Board of Supervisors considered whether to reappoint Stephan Castellanos or appoint Edwards at its Tuesday, Jan. 27, meeting. The supervisors voted 4-1 for Edwards, with District 4 Supervisor Steve Ding dissenting.
In remarks before the vote, Ding said there should be an explanation for why Castellanos would be replaced before selecting a successor. The other supervisors did not explain why they thought Edwards would be a better choice.
“Until you’ve actually sat on a board for two years, three years, four years, and figured out the inner workings of that board, you’re really not relevant to the conversation, so I don’t think you could beat the experience,” Ding said. “I don’t see a reason to remove Mr. Castellanos from the board.”
Edwards previously worked as a customer engagement specialist and project manager at RTD from September 2023 to May 2024. In April 2024, he filed a civil complaint against RTD alleging harassment, discrimination and retaliation, seeking more than $35,000 in damages. He filed a request to dismiss the case on Friday, Jan. 16, days before his board appointment.
The next regular meeting of the RTD board is scheduled for 10 a.m. Friday, Feb. 20, at 421 E. Weber Ave. in Stockton.
Record reporter Hannah Workman covers news in Stockton and San Joaquin County. She can be reached at hworkman@recordnet.com or on Twitter @byhannahworkman. Support local news, subscribe to The Stockton Record at https://www.recordnet.com/subscribenow.
This article originally appeared on The Record: San Joaquin RTD bus drivers halt service as board places CEO on administrative leave
Reporting by Hannah Workman, The Stockton Record / The Record
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