# City Council Special Study Session - November 9, 2026

The City of Stockton City Council held a special study session on November 9, 2026, to discuss the City’s response to grand jury recommendations on governance, ethics, and council conduct. Procurement-related discussion focused on fiscal training planned for December 15, covering budget and funding approvals, project oversight, procurement procedures, competitive bidding and sole-source awards, contract approval, and documenting decisions that depart from staff recommendations. Council members raised concerns about consistent application of procurement rules and past funding decisions, including awards they said had not followed established criteria; they also discussed local-vendor preferences, CDBG funding oversight, and a forthcoming state audit. The City Manager noted the City’s approximately $1 billion budget and roughly $375 million General Fund, while a council member cited about $758,000 in legal bills. These amounts were discussed as context; the session did not approve a contract, bid, purchase, or new expenditure.

The council discussed developing clearer procedures and scheduling further work, including a fiscal/procurement training and a later study session to address criteria and documentation. Other planned work included drafting an ethics commission framework and considering a local campaign-contribution ordinance, with timelines discussed for later in 2026. No procurement award or spending motion was identified; the meeting’s procurement significance was its focus on oversight, consistent rules, and transparency in future funding and contracting decisions.

**Jurisdictions:** sled
**Topics:** Grants & Funding
**Published:** November 09, 2026

### Sources
- [City Council Special Study Session - November 9, 2026](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n3jwjamB08M) - City of Stockton