Westminster City Council
SUBJECT
Title
Public Hearing - City Job Vacancies and Recruitment/Retention Efforts (AB 2561 Compliance).End
publichearing
• Staff Report
• Mayor and City Council Questions for Staff
• Public Comments
• Mayor and Council Member Discussion
• Council Action
End
From: Jodie Griner, Human Resources and Risk Management Director
Requested by: Administration
Prepared by: Jodie Griner, Human Resources and Risk Management Director
____________________________________________________________
RECOMMENDED ACTION
Recommendation
Receive and file.
end
BACKGROUND
On September 22, 2024, Governor Gavin Newsom signed into law Assembly Bill 2561 (AB 2561), which amends the Meyers-Milias-Brown Act (MMBA), effective January 1, 2025, to create a new obligation for public agencies to publicly present on the status of their vacant positions and the agency’s efforts to recruit and retain employees.
In passing AB 2561, the State Legislature declared:
• Job vacancies in local government are a widespread and significant problem for the public sector across a range of occupations;
• High job vacancies impact public service delivery and employees by imposing heavier workloads, leading to burnout and increased turnover that further exacerbate staffing challenges; and
• There is statewide interest in ensuring public agencies are appropriately staffed, and high vacancies do not undermine public employee labor relations.
AB 2561 also added Section 3502.3 to the Government Code, which creates new reporting obligations for all public agencies; a public agency must present the status of their position vacancies and recruitment and retention efforts during a public hearing before the agency’s governing body at least once per fiscal year. During the presentation, the public agency must identify any necessary changes to policies, procedures, and recruitment activities that may lead to obstacles in the hiring process. In addition, the recognized employee organization for each bargaining unit is allowed to make their own presentation to the governing body during the same public hearing if they wish.
Public agencies have additional obligations if the number of job vacancies within any bargaining unit meets or exceeds 20% of the total number of authorized full-time positions for that bargaining unit. In these situations, upon request of the bargaining unit’s recognized employee organization, the public agency is required to provide additional related information during the presentation which includes the total number of vacancies within the bargaining unit, the total number of applicants for vacant positions within the bargaining unit, the average number of days to complete the hiring process from when a position is posted, and opportunities to improve compensation and other working conditions.
Vacant Positions
As of June 30, 2026, the City had 277 authorized budgeted positions across all departments, with 22 total vacancies, for an overall vacancy rate of 7.4%. Recruitment efforts are ongoing to fill these vacant positions. Current vacancy rates for each represented employee bargaining unit and unrepresented employee group are listed below. No represented bargaining units have a vacancy rate at or above 20%. The numbers below do not include positions approved in the FY 26/27 budget process.
Represented Employees as of June 30, 2026
|
Bargaining Unit |
Vacancies |
Currently Filled |
Authorized Positions |
Vacancy Rate |
|
Westminster Municipal Employees Association (WMEA) |
4 |
63 |
67 |
6.0% |
|
Westminster Police Officers Association (WPOA) |
4 |
135 |
139 |
2.8% |
Vacancies ÷ Authorized Positions = Vacancy Rate
Unrepresented Employees as of June 30, 2026
|
Employee Group |
Vacancies |
Currently Filled |
Authorized Positions |
Vacancy Rate |
|
Administrative, Management & Confidential |
13 |
48 |
61 |
21.3% |
|
Executive Management |
1 |
8 |
9 |
11.1% |
Vacancies ÷ Authorized Positions = Vacancy Rate
Current Vacancy List
As of today, and with the FY26/27 approved budgeted positions, the vacancies are as follows:
Recruitment and Retention Efforts
Vacancies occur on a regular basis for a variety of reasons, including retirement, seeking employment elsewhere in the public or private sector, or failing to meet the City’s standards and expectations for job performance. When a vacancy exists, Human Resources staff collaborate with the impacted City department to determine the most effective way to fill the position.
The City’s recruitment process is flexible and adaptable based on the specific type of job and the circumstances surrounding the vacant position. For example, the City may conduct an open recruitment using City staff or through an executive recruiter, conduct an internal promotional recruitment if a pool of well-qualified internal candidates exists, keep recruitments for hard-to-fill positions open on a continuous basis rather than on a limited timeline, or use a targeted recruitment and selection process to expedite the hiring of a qualified candidate without a traditional recruitment process.
The City generally posts job opportunities on the City’s website, which is synced with governmentjobs.com, a leading online recruitment source for local government positions. The City also posts job announcements on industry-specific websites. The City has a presence on social media by utilizing LinkedIn to post frequent updates on employment opportunities and to spotlight employees who are newly hired or promoted from within.
Like most public agencies throughout the state, the City has experienced challenges recruiting and retaining high-quality employees in recent years. Contributing factors include competition with the private sector, negative perception of government, retirements due to aging of the workforce, generational changes and evolving employee expectations, high cost of living in the region, and reduced pension benefits (PEPRA) for newer employees due to changes in State law.
The City continuously reviews policies, procedures, and recruitment activities to identify potential obstacles and improve staffing outcomes. With the full support of the City Council, the City has made a concerted effort in recent years to improve recruitment and retention of employees through several actions including:
• Conducting informal total compensation surveys to evaluate the City’s position in the local labor market for various positions;
• Negotiating multi-year agreements with represented employee bargaining units that improve the City’s compensation package in ways that are designed to improve recruitment, retention, and morale;
• Communicating and collaborating with employee association representatives to understand the concerns of their members and address them to the extent possible;
• Evaluating and updating job classifications and position requirements to reflect current needs and market trends;
• Expediting the hiring process when feasible;
• Increasing the number of authorized budgeted positions;
• Offering alternative work schedules with compressed work weeks (e.g. 9/80, 4/10, 3/12.5); and
• Investing additional resources in staff development and employee appreciation programs.
Going forward, the City will continue to evaluate employee recruitment and retention and make changes as necessary to ensure the City has the talent necessary to provide outstanding service to the Westminster community.
FISCAL IMPACT
None
LEGAL REVIEW
The City Attorney’s Office has reviewed as to form.
CONCLUSION
Per AB 2561 each public agency is required to hold a public hearing to discuss staffing, specifically vacancies, recruitment, and retention. No further action is required at this time.
ATTACHMENTS
None
REVIEWED BY
Erin Backs, Finance Director
City Attorney’s Office
Christine Cordon, City Manager