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City Hall Tour - Inside City Hall

As a visitor enters the first floor lobby of City Hall, he is greeted by graceful columns supporting the ceiling of a small rotunda, and murals of the past and present (as of 1974) on the western wall. These murals were created by Greg Custodio and presented as a gift to the City by Legionarios Del Trabajo, a National Filipino Organization with headquarters in Stockton.

The two murals measure 9 feet in width and 15 feet in height and were dedicated to the City during ceremonies on Friday, December 13, 1974.

They were accepted on behalf of the City by Mayor Manuel Silveria. It is said that the likenesses of many City employees at the time were used to depict the various ethnicities represented in the murals.

On the eastern side of the rotunda is a time capsule placed in the lobby in 1976, in observance of our Nation's 200th birthday; it is scheduled to be opened for the tricentennial in 2076. Atop this time capsule is a replica of the original Liberty Bell, cast at the Whitechapel Foundry in London, England, and presented to the City by Guarantee Savings and Loan Bank.

Also on the eastern side of the rotunda is a display case containing some of the gifts from foreign visitors to Stockton, and Employee of the Year plaques.

Offices located on City Hall's first floor include the Administrative Services offices, where business licenses are issued, and utility bills (City water and sewer) can be paid. Fire Department Administration and the City Clerk's office are also located on the first floor.

On the 2nd floor is located the Council Chambers, where City Council meetings have been held since 1926. The chambers have been remodeled several times over the past 75 years, most recently in 2000, to update and refresh the colors and furniture, and to bring the dias into conformity with ADA standards.

On the west side of the lobby is a display case that contains many of the beautiful and often hand-crafted gifts brought by visitors from Stockton's sister cities. There are five: Shimizu, Japan (the first one); Empalme, Mexico; Iloilo, Philipines; Foshan, China; and the most recent, Parma, Italy.

On the wall to the right just outside the Chambers doors are located photographs of the current Mayor and Councilmembers.

There is a large painting of Captain Weber, the City's founder, on the eastern wall of the Chambers. This painting was done in 1938 by Oscar Vincent Galgiani, who was commissioned by the State Legislature to create the painting for the State Capitol as representative of California's early pioneers. The painting hung in the State Capitol for many years before being returned to the City, and was re-dedicated on April 25, 2000.

Photo of City Seal inside Council Chambers

The Mayor sits underneath the City's official seal, restored in 1994 by a local UOP graduate student and artist, Shan Swoverland. The original seal design was done by Samuel Purdy, the City's first mayor, in 1851.

Behind the dias the visitor will see four flags: the U.S. flag, the City's official flag, the flag of the State of California, and a flag from Shimizu, a gift from Stockton's first Sister City. The City's official flag was designed in 1998 by Katherine Gong Meissner, the City Clerk, and is a depiction of the City seal on a field that is red on the left and blue on the right.

Photo of presentation area inside Council Chambers The Chambers are where the Council conducts the City's business. Public meetings are held every Tuesday evening, beginning at 5:30 p.m. preceded on the 1st and 3rd Tuesdays by the Redevelopment Agency's meetings. These meetings are televised on the local government channel; however, cable access is required. The Chambers will seat approximately 50 citizens, so if an overflow crowd is expected, chairs are set up in the lobby, with both loudspeaker and TV access provided. If a very large crowd is anticipated, the Council meeting may be moved to a more spacious place, such as the Civic Auditorium across the street. The City's Planning Commission and Civil Service Commission also use the Council Chambers to conduct their public meetings.

Take a virtual tour of the Council Chambers!

The second floor of City Hall also houses the City Attorney and City Manager's complexes. Included in the City Manager's complex is the office of the Mayor, and working areas and mailboxes for the Councilmembers.

Special thanks to Jeanne from the Clerk's Office. Just before retiring after 30+ years with the City of Stockton, Jeanne put together the text for this online tour of City Hall. She has also taken many school classes on tours of City Hall.

More on Council Chambers & City Hall Layout ....