Lodi Eye

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Lodi City Council - April 15, 2026
Lodi Don Bradford Lodi Don Bradford

Lodi City Council - April 15, 2026

This packed agenda features three Regular Calendar items including a forensic accounting audit report, a $1.25 million credit card convenience fee policy decision, and a vendor permit cap discussion; four presentations including three mayoral proclamations and a non-profit check presentation; and twelve Consent Calendar items totaling over $22 million in contracts and appropriations. Two Closed Session items address the ongoing City Manager recruitment and anticipated litigation.

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The Leadership Gap
Lodi Don Bradford Lodi Don Bradford

The Leadership Gap

In 30 months, the City of Lodi has cycled through five people in the city manager's chair, lost key personnel in finance, human resources, and community development, spent more than $1 million on consultants and interim staffing, and endured a public rupture between its city manager and city council that made regional and statewide news.

This is not a story about one bad hire. It is a story about institutional erosion — and Lodi is far from alone. Across the Central Valley and throughout California, the machinery of local government is losing the people who know how to run it. The question is whether Lodi's elected leadership, at both the city and county level, understands the depth of the problem.

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Lodi City Council - April 1, 2026
Lodi Don Bradford Lodi Don Bradford

Lodi City Council - April 1, 2026

This agenda addresses two high-profile leadership transitions — the appointment of an Interim City Attorney and formal initiation of the November 2026 General Municipal Election — alongside nine consent calendar items totaling over $880,000 in contracts and allocations. The meeting also features three presentations including the Arbor Day proclamation and two non-profit check presentations totaling $11,630.

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

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

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.

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Lodi City Council - March 18, 2026
Lodi Don Bradford Lodi Don Bradford

Lodi City Council - March 18, 2026

The March 18, 2026 agenda features three labor union Memoranda of Understanding (MOUs) totaling approximately $7.84 million over three years, the 2025 Housing Element Annual Progress Report, an Electric Utility quarterly financial update, solid waste rate adjustments, and several infrastructure and procurement items. The Council will also address the Lodi Academy improvement deferral agreement and receive a status report on the Non-Profit Fund Program.

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Lodi City Council Meeting - March 4, 2026
Lodi Don Bradford Lodi Don Bradford

Lodi City Council Meeting - March 4, 2026

The Lodi City Council convenes for its regular meeting with a packed agenda of 22 items spanning financial reports, executive compensation adjustments, infrastructure financing modernization, homeless services updates, an electric rate ordinance, and a strategic vision revision. Two closed session items address the ongoing recruitment of a new City Manager and the first performance review of the Interim City Manager.

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Lodi City Council Meeting - February 18, 2026
Lodi Don Bradford Lodi Don Bradford

Lodi City Council Meeting - February 18, 2026

This is a landmark transitional meeting for the City of Lodi featuring 40+ agenda items. The Council will bid farewell to Community Development Director John Della Monica and Interim City Manager James Lindsay, appoint a new Interim City Manager and City Treasurer, adopt the city’s first comprehensive Economic Development Strategic Plan, approve multiple labor agreements and executive compensation packages, conduct public hearings on water rates and electric utility discount programs, and adopt two ordinances amending the Municipal Code.

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Lodi City Council Meeting - February 4, 2026
Lodi Don Bradford Lodi Don Bradford

Lodi City Council Meeting - February 4, 2026

The February 4, 2026 City Council meeting addresses critical governance and operational matters including executive leadership transitions, labor negotiations, and significant budget adjustments. The agenda features three Closed Session items, nine Consent Calendar items totaling over $800,000 in appropriations, and three major Regular Calendar items including a $2.95 million mid-year budget increase and selection of the permanent Access Center operator.

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Lodi City Council Special Meeting - January 28, 2026
Lodi Don Bradford Lodi Don Bradford

Lodi City Council Special Meeting - January 28, 2026

The Lodi City Council convenes a special meeting on January 28, 2026, at 9:00 a.m. at Hutchins Street Square's Kirst Hall to conduct a comprehensive review and update of the City's Strategic Vision and Protocol Manual. This all-day strategic planning session represents a pivotal governance exercise that will shape the City's priorities and operational framework for Fiscal Year 2026-27 and beyond

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Lodi City Council Meeting - December 17,2025
Lodi Don Bradford Lodi Don Bradford

Lodi City Council Meeting - December 17,2025

Lodi City Council Regular Meeting agenda contains 27 action items across four major categories: 1 Presentation, 15 Consent Calendar items, 3 Public Hearings, and 6 Regular Calendar items. The meeting will address critical decisions on infrastructure, public safety, environmental compliance, personnel changes, financial authorizations, and community recognition.

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Lodi City Council Special Meeting - December 16,2025
Lodi Don Bradford Lodi Don Bradford

Lodi City Council Special Meeting - December 16,2025

This special meeting of the Lodi City Council convenes a special meeting to address how resident requests are evaluated for traffic control modifications and provide direction on priority agenda items for the upcoming Fiscal Year 2026-27 budget planning session.

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Lodi City Council Meeting - December 3, 2025
Lodi Don Bradford Lodi Don Bradford

Lodi City Council Meeting - December 3, 2025

The December 3, 2025 Lodi City Council meeting features a agenda centered on municipal operations, infrastructure maintenance, and governance reorganization. Key business includes recognition of community service award recipients, approval of routine municipal operations, substantial public works expenditures totaling approximately $2.1 million, and the annual reorganization to establish new leadership roles. Major capital investments include a $1.75 million transit bus purchase and facility upgrades.

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 Councilman Ramon Yepez 2026 Vision For Lodi
Lodi Don Bradford Lodi Don Bradford

Councilman Ramon Yepez 2026 Vision For Lodi

As the year draws to a close, Lodi City Councilman Ramon Yepez has unveiled a bold roadmap for the city’s future—one that aims to marry innovation with responsiveness, and economic growth with social care.

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City Council Meeting Overview - Oct 15, 2025
Lodi Don Bradford Lodi Don Bradford

City Council Meeting Overview - Oct 15, 2025

The Council meets at 6:30 p.m. (Closed Session) and 7:00 p.m. (Regular Session) at the Carnegie Forum. The agenda includes labor negotiations in Closed Session; multiple proclamations and recognitions; a Consent Calendar with contracts, plan updates, funding appropriations, and appointments; a public hearing on Development Code amendments; and Regular Calendar presentations and discussions.

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City Council Meeting - October 1, 2025
Lodi Don Bradford Lodi Don Bradford

City Council Meeting - October 1, 2025

The Lodi City Council will convene its regular meeting on Tuesday, October 1, 2025, at 7:00 p.m. at Carnegie Forum, following a closed session beginning at 5:00 p.m. The closed session will address serious legal matters, including significant anticipated litigation involving City Manager Scott Carney.

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Hiring City Managers - Recruit or Promote?
Government Don Bradford Government Don Bradford

Hiring City Managers - Recruit or Promote?

California’s 482 incorporated cities rely on professional city managers to translate council directives into services that residents experience daily. Roughly 97% of the state’s municipalities operate under the council-manager form of government, compared with 48% nationally, so getting the hire right is mission-critical

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Lodi City Budget: Fiscal Challenges
Lodi Don Bradford Lodi Don Bradford

Lodi City Budget: Fiscal Challenges

The City of Lodi, California, faces significant fiscal challenges as it implements budget cuts and cost-saving measures to address mounting financial pressures. Despite approving a $291 million balanced budget for fiscal year 2025-2026, the city faces a projected $4.8 million structural deficit that is expected to emerge over the next five years.

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James Lindsay and the “Range Riders”
Lodi Don Bradford Lodi Don Bradford

James Lindsay and the “Range Riders”

Per Steve Mann’s recent About Town article, John Lindsay, a “Range Rider / Senior Advisor” will be appointed Lodi’s acting City Manager.

What’s John Lindsay’s background?

Who are the “Range Riders”?

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