In a split vote Tuesday, the Stockton City Council approved a 30% pay increase for its members, even as some councilmembers raised concerns about accepting the raise while the city’s police officers have been without a contract since July 2025.
Starting Jan. 1, councilmembers will receive a salary increase, resulting in $40,000 annually, or $3,333.33 monthly, with no benefits. They currently earn $30,832.62 annually, or $2,569.40 monthly, with no benefits. The position is part time.
The salary increase was recommended by the Council Salary Setting Commission, a five-member body appointed by the Civil Service Commission that recommends salaries and benefits for the council and mayor. The commission reviews councilmembers’ pay every two years before elections, while the mayor’s salary remains fixed for the four-year term.
The commission made the recommendation after reviewing a salary survey of councilmembers in other cities and the councilmembers’ workload. That workload included the number of meetings they attend and the estimated hours spent performing official duties. The commission also considered the cost of living in Stockton and held a public hearing in March.
Some councilmembers and residents, however, disagreed with the commission’s recommendation, questioning its fairness amid the city’s ongoing labor negotiations with public safety employees.
The Stockton Police Officers Association, which represents police officers and sergeants, also opposed the raise, writing on social media: “When it’s their pay, things move fast. The rest? Still waiting.”
Vice Mayor Jason Lee attempted to table the item until the union’s contract is settled, and District 3 Councilmember Michael Blower seconded Lee’s motion. However, City Attorney Marci Arredondo said the council could only vote to accept or reject the recommendation or take no action.
“I think it’s premature for us to give ourselves a raise at a time where our staff don’t have their contracts,” Lee said. “I do believe city councilmembers are underpaid. I do believe city councilmembers should be a full-time position. I think to approve a raise for us while we haven’t finalized their contract would be disastrous for us in the eyes of the public, the eyes of our staff and in terms of our responsibility to them.”
Stockton resident Tom Alfieri said he wanted justification for the salary increase and questioned whether councilmembers would still want the position if they were paid by the hour at minimum wage. He also said the public should decide the matter.
“I think it should be on the ballot,” Alfieri said. “I think the people ought to vote on it, and if they did, it wouldn’t pass.”
Stockton resident Cynthia Gail Boyd, a frequent attendee of council meetings, criticized a councilmember during public comment, questioning her lack of participation in meetings and her compensation.
“There’s one of them that sits up there now, and you don’t ever hear nothing from her,” Boyd said. “I don’t even think her vote ought to be counted, but yet she’s getting paid too.”
In response to those comments, Mayor Christina Fugazi said the job was not one day a week. She said councilmembers receive calls and emails seven days a week and serve on various committees, with meetings that can last two to five hours, in addition to providing constituent services and attending community events.
“If people don’t think that this council is doing 40 hours a week, they’re sadly mistaken,” Fugazi said. “This council works really hard in preparing for the meetings, whether somebody speaks or not is irrelevant.”
District 5 Councilmember Brando Villapudua acknowledged that police officers in the city work hard but said his fellow councilmembers also work hard addressing issues. He also pointed to the monthly compensation for the Stockton Unified School District Board of Trustees, which recently increased from $750 to $3,000 each month.
“The school board makes more money than us, and they meet twice a month just like us,” Villapudua said. “I’m not saying they don’t work just as hard as us, but we work just as hard as them as well. It’s not fair, and even if the raise goes today, they’re still making more than us.”
Lee said that while he believed councilmembers deserved the salary increase, he would not feel comfortable supporting it while the police union was without a contract.
Lee made a motion to reject the salary increase, seconded by District 4 Councilmember Mario Enríquez. Villapudua made a motion to approve the increase, seconded by District 2 Councilmember Mariela Ponce.
Villapudua’s motion passed 4-3, with Fugazi, Ponce, Villapudua and District 1 Councilmember Michele Padilla voting yes and Lee, Blower and Enríquez voting no.
Ponce left the meeting shortly after the vote and did not provide an explanation.
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: Stockton council approves 30% pay raise as police contract stalls
Reporting by Hannah Workman, The Stockton Record / The Record
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