TO: HONORABLE MAYOR AND MEMBERS OF THE CITY COUNCIL
FROM: Diego Chavez, Administrative Services Director
PREPARED BY: Jakkie Arellano, Management Analyst - Administrative Services
SUBJECT:
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Public Hearing: Compliance with Assembly Bill 2561 - Status of Vacancies
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RECOMMENDATION
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Conduct a Public Hearing to present the status of vacancies and the City's recruitment and retention efforts, as required by Government Code Section 3502.3.
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PRIOR ACTION/VOTE
None.
CITY COUNCIL GOAL
Maintain a high performing organization that values fiscal sustainability, transparency, accountability and organizational efficiency.
BACKGROUND
On September 22, 2024, Governor Newsom signed into law Assembly Bill 2561 (AB 2561), which became effective January 1, 2025. The Legislature found that job vacancies are a widespread and significant problem for the public sector, and that high job vacancies impact public service delivery and the workers who are forced to handle heavier workloads. The Legislature further declared that there is a statewide interest in ensuring that public agency operations are appropriately staffed and that high vacancy rates do not undermine public employee labor relations.
AB 2561 added Section 3502.3 to the Government Code, which requires a public agency to present the status of vacancies and recruitment and retention efforts at a public hearing at least once per fiscal year. If the public agency is adopting a budget, the public hearing must occur prior to the adoption of the final budget. The new law also entitles recognized employee organizations to make a presentation during the hearing. In its presentation of this item, the public agency is required to identify any necessary changes to policies, procedures, and recruitment activities leading to obstacles in the hiring process.
If the number of job vacancies within a single bargaining unit meets or exceeds 20% of the total number of authorized positions, the...
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