Lodi’s Leadership Vacuum: Five Senior City Hall Positions Open

Lodi

Mar 13

Lodi's Leadership Vacuum: Five Senior City Hall Positions Open as City Attorney Announces Exit

This article expands on reporting by Steve Mann’s About Town. Read the original column: Late Addition — About Town on Substack

Summary

City Attorney Katie Lucchesi’s resignation—effective at the end of March 2026—adds a fifth senior vacancy to what has become a prolonged administrative crisis at Lodi City Hall. The city now lacks a permanent City Manager, Assistant City Manager, City Attorney, Administrative Services Director, and Public Works Director. This analysis provides background, context, and a timeline for the departures, along with a look at how long similar California cities typically take to fill comparable roles.

A Timeline of Turmoil

The upheaval traces back to the surprise resignation of longtime City Manager Steve Schwabauer in 2023. The council hired Scott Carney as his replacement in mid-2024, but his tenure quickly destabilized city operations. Carney fired Assistant City Manager Andrew Keys and replaced him with part-time hire Bobby Magee. Multiple members of the executive management team quit or retired in the months that followed.

The situation escalated on April 1, 2025, when Carney publicly accused City Attorney Lucchesi and City Clerk Olivia Nashed of altering staff reports and alleged “widespread credit card fraud and misuse of public funds.” Eight days later, the council voted 3-2 to place Carney on paid administrative leave—with Lisa Craig-Hensley and Alan Nakanishi dissenting. An outside investigation by Meyers Nave was authorized, eventually totaling roughly $260,000 in legal costs.

Internal emails later revealed that Lucchesi had urged the council months earlier to “take action and end the harm caused by Carney’s actions,” accusing him of “unlawful behavior behind the scenes.” The council ultimately completed Carney’s removal on November 6, 2025, nearly seven months after his suspension. Carney subsequently filed a claim against the city—a precursor to possible litigation—though settlement talks are reportedly ongoing.

2023: City Manager Steve Schwabauer resigns unexpectedly.
June 2024: Scott Carney hired as new City Manager.
Mid-2024: Carney fires Assistant CM Andrew Keys; appoints Bobby Magee as part-time replacement.
Late 2024–Early 2025: Multiple executive staff members resign or retire.
April 1, 2025: Carney publicly alleges financial misconduct by city attorney and city clerk.
April 9, 2025: Council votes 3-2 to place Carney on paid leave; investigation authorized.
May 2025: James Lindsay appointed interim city manager.
July 2025: Internal emails surface showing Lucchesi’s earlier warnings about Carney.
November 6, 2025: Council completes Carney’s removal.
February 2026: Aaron Busch appointed as new interim city manager.
March 2026: City Attorney Katie Lucchesi announces resignation, effective end of March.

The Interim Carousel

Since Schwabauer’s departure, Lodi has cycled through a series of interim leaders. Christina Jaromay, the Parks and Recreation Director, served as acting city manager—receiving a $100,000 salary increase while performing both roles. She was followed by retired annuitant James Lindsay, who served until late February 2026.

The council then unanimously appointed Aaron Busch—a 37-year government veteran and former Vacaville city manager—as the current interim. Bobby Magee, appointed as interim Assistant City Manager, also departed after nearing the 1,300-hour cap for part-time employees. Magee had ties to a consulting firm later acquired by Baker Tilly, which received nearly $309,000 in no-bid contracts for city finance work.

The Candidates Weigh In

Mike Carouba — District 2 Candidate

Carouba ties the current vacancies directly to the Carney hire, a common critique among those who believe the council’s management of the situation created a destabilizing ripple effect across city administration.

“We need to make Lodi more livable and we can’t do that with all of the vacancies we have at city hall. Since the hiring of Scott Carney in June of 2024, chaos has followed. Now isn’t the time to point fingers, rather we need to fill these positions quickly with thoughtful and hardworking people.”

— Mike Carouba, District 2 Candidate

Context: Carouba’s framing places blame squarely on the Carney hire as the catalyst for the exodus. His call to “fill these positions quickly” reflects a pragmatic, forward-looking stance—though as the table below shows, recruitment timelines for senior municipal roles in California typically range from three to nine months per position.

Lisa Craig-Hensley — District 2 Incumbent

Craig-Hensley, who voted against placing Carney on leave in April 2025, says she doesn’t know why Lucchesi is leaving but believes the city needs a fundamental shift in how it operates.

“The city needs a change in culture—one that is more customer service focused.” She points to the difficulty some experience in getting a building project approved or obtaining a building permit.

— Lisa Craig-Hensley, District 2 Incumbent

Context: Craig-Hensley has consistently positioned herself as a dissenting voice on the council’s handling of the Carney crisis. Her emphasis on “culture” and permitting issues shifts the conversation from personnel to systemic operations—suggesting the problem runs deeper than any one hire. Notably, she was one of two council members who opposed Carney’s suspension, and her framing avoids assigning blame to Carney directly.

Mayor Ramon Yepez

While Mayor Yepez has not commented publicly on the Lucchesi departure specifically, he addressed the broader staffing situation when introducing interim City Manager Aaron Busch in February 2026.

“[Aaron Busch is] a leader who [has dedicated] his career [to] public service” whose “forward-thinking attitude and attentiveness to community needs make him an excellent fit as we search for [the] next full City Manager.”

— Mayor Ramon Yepez, February 2026

Context: Yepez, who became Lodi’s first Latino mayor in December 2025, has emphasized stability and professionalism in interim hires as the city works toward filling permanent roles. His public remarks have focused on solutions rather than recriminations.

Former Mayor Cameron Bregman

Bregman, who served as mayor during much of the crisis period, has spoken to the importance of getting leadership hires right—even if it takes time.

“I cannot stress how important it is to have good leaders in these roles. That’s what we’ve been focused on, having the right leader, in the right role, for the right time.”

— Cameron Bregman, Former Mayor

Context: Bregman’s comment reflects the balancing act the council faces: moving quickly to fill vacancies while ensuring quality hires that won’t repeat the instability of the Carney era.

Open Senior Positions at a Glance

Position	Vacancy Date	Interim / Acting	Recruitment Status (March 2026)	Typical Fill Time (CA cities 50k–100k)
City Manager	November 2025	Aaron Busch (Interim)	Active — Mosaic Public Partners conducting search; interviews late March; target hire June 2026	5–9 months
Assistant City Manager	Mid-2024	None publicly announced	No public posting identified	3–6 months
City Attorney	End of March 2026	TBD	Not yet posted publicly	4–8 months
Administrative Services Director	2025	None publicly announced	Applications closed Feb 17, 2026 (Tripepi Smith recruiting)	3–5 months
Public Works Director	2025	None publicly announced	Applications closed Jan 8, 2026 (Tripepi Smith recruiting)	3–5 months

Note on Fill Times: The “typical fill time” ranges above are based on industry benchmarks for California municipalities in the 50,000–100,000 population range. According to TS Talent Solutions (formerly Tripepi Smith), a standard city manager search takes approximately six months under favorable conditions, and that timeline often stretches when a city is navigating political instability. Department head searches typically move faster—three to five months—but Lodi’s simultaneous vacancies across five positions create compounding recruitment challenges, as candidates may perceive organizational risk.

Recruitment Timeline Comparison

The chart below illustrates the estimated recruitment timeline ranges for each open position compared to how long each role has already been vacant as of March 2026.

What’s at Stake

The Moss Adams fiscal audit referenced during the crisis, the roughly $260,000 in outside legal fees, and ongoing settlement discussions with Carney all represent unresolved financial and legal exposure for the city. Meanwhile, Lodi’s $291.3 million budget and 473-employee workforce continue to operate under interim leadership.

A June 2025 staff report warned that “staffing shortages can create stress for current employees and lead to an increased workload, which may ultimately result in more employees leaving the City”—suggesting the exodus could compound if permanent leadership isn’t seated soon.

The city manager interviews are expected at the end of March, with a permanent appointment targeted by June 2026. How quickly Lodi fills the remaining four positions may determine whether the city can break the cycle of instability that has defined City Hall since 2023.

References

City CouncilCity Government

Don Bradford