Sixteen years after being wrongfully fired by the city, Johnny Ford has been hired as the permanent City Manager of Stockton.

The Stockton City Council voted unanimously to appoint Ford as City Manager, filling the position on a permanent basis for the first time in 10 months.

The backstory: Ford was serving as the Deputy City Manager in 2009 when he was fired for allegedly receiving hundreds of free tickets to local events. • An ensuing city council investigation later cleared Ford of all wrongdoing, leading to a $250,000 settlement.

Driving the news: Since his first stint with the city, Ford has worked for the City of Compton, where he was most recently the City Manager. • He is the permanent replacement for Harry Black, who left as Stockton’s City Manager in January. Steve Colang

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