Embattled North Bay Mayor Resigns Amid Investigation, Tragic Graduation Shooting

NAPA VALLEY, CA — The mayor of Fairfield resigned Tuesday, just hours before City Council members examined questions about whether she lives in the Northern California city that elected her in 2022.

Catherine Moy stepped down before the Fairfield City Council was set to review an outside investigation into her residency and consider her request to have the city cover legal fees connected to the inquiry.

Her resignation ended her time as mayor more than five months before her term was set to expire in November.

The special meeting centered on a legal process used in California to challenge whether an official has the right to hold public office.

The outside report did not make a definitive finding that Moy lived outside Fairfield. It said the evidence gathered was “subject to interpretation,” and that the City Council would have to decide how to weigh it, according to reports.

Moy also drew wider attention outside Fairfield last week after a shooting following a Sem Yeto High School graduation ceremony killed 18-year-old Jamario Baker and injured three others. The violence deepened tensions in the city and spilled into council meetings, where residents pressed leaders over public safety, police response, and accountability.

The formal residency review began after Council Member K. Patrice Williams asked in December for the city to examine Moy’s residency, according to reports.

In a lengthy Facebook post and resignation letter, Moy cited health concerns, accused several council colleagues of targeting her politically, and said the fight over her residency had hurt her family. She alleged the city spent roughly $70,000 on what she called a one-sided investigation and said the process violated her rights.

"The City paid to persecute me using taxpayer money in a political investigation and didn’t afford me a defense, which I asked for on at least 3 separate occasions," Moy wrote in the letter.

She also sought to link the attempt to oust her by questioning her residency to members of a private investors, California Forever, seeking to develop a city in Solano County.

In addition to Williams, Moy criticized Council Members Scott Tonnesen, Doriss Panduro, and Doug Carr, accusing them of pursuing political disputes.

News reports said community reaction to Moy’s resignation was mixed. During public comment, one speaker criticized council members over the events leading to her departure, while another said he was glad Moy was gone and had lost faith in her years ago, the San Francisco Chronicle reported.

Moy said in her resignation letter that Fairfield had endured “horrific loss” in recent weeks, including the death of Jamario Baker after the graduation shooting. She also referenced fallout from a viral arrest video involving a Fairfield High student and said recent council meetings had become volatile.

Vice Mayor Pam Bertani now leads the council as Fairfield confronts the aftermath of Moy’s resignation.

"She and I have served together for many years. She is the only person on the City Council besides me to have earned office in a citywide vote," Moy said in her resignation letter. "She is by far the most qualified to lead and loves our city dearly."

Bertani said the resignation was unexpected.