[{"_1":2,"_86":-5,"_87":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,74],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":56,"_73":56},"mediaId",6566770,"mediaKeyId","3202805-fc6e970463d3323e66afd784c3492028","parentId",3202805,"title","County reports 6% vacancy rate, 92% retention as it meets AB 2561 reporting requirement","audioSeconds",5402,"startMs",4807000,"endMs",10209000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=3202805-fc6e970463d3323e66afd784c3492028&start=4807&end=10209","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3202805-fc6e970463d3323e66afd784c3492028/thumbnail_4807000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6566770/San-Diego-County/California/County-reports-6-vacancy-rate-92-retention-as-it-meets-AB-2561-reporting-requirement","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6566770-b4a139634ea4188b229e933773a29b40/orig.mp4?Expires=1771196305&Signature=QetWyecQfUyYxop~uEdEUlCj-xR1LwPSZjN0aSLRKNZCryeJBP1mx-mYLPKLsE7BmX91mLWuxS02cxaUzpZw6WNDKk7xnAe8U40EJj6FsbDOxUbOCfXIOopVnzU0UY6aAoyzBm69-MrNY9h8-j9BjLNH-~9lNxMaTJceJ6xOaQLaBEYMxZLQPsMLicbdomcJprmsWTgdsvQhw-2rJqccv1mdbz3VLAu4hD4T~FbdljT1ukXrwnrARQljz0N-BEB7-ZQq4doXlh8QtB-MJSfKtvP-KpQ5doF2xMEIm4JSCHDtNeQq-ern-cjp9cRGGR6b9RBYlvKpV8QlNy4Ke5Z0dQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","","date","2025-05-06T19:24:10Z","article","San Diego County human resources officials on Tuesday presented the county's first annual report under Assembly Bill 2561, detailing vacancy, recruitment and retention efforts for the 12‑month period ending March 7, 2025.

Susan Brazzo, director of human resources, told the Board of Supervisors that the county has 20,477 budgeted positions and 19,251 employees, leaving a vacancy rate of about 6% (roughly 1,200 open positions). Brandy Winterbottom, assistant director of human resources, said departments conducted 706 recruitments and received more than 82,000 applications; nearly 1,700 people were hired and roughly 2,500 employees were promoted in the reporting period. No single bargaining unit exceeded the 20% vacancy threshold that would require extra statutory detail under AB 2561.

\"Strong recruitment and retention leads to quality public services,\" said Nate Wolman, vice president of SEIU Local 221, which represents many county workers. Wolman and other union representatives used their allotted presentation time to describe localized staffing shortfalls and urged the county to expand investment in pay, training and retention efforts.

County officials described a multi‑pronged recruitment toolbox: community outreach and job fairs (98 events, including 39 veteran‑focused), same‑day hiring events (43 events resulting in 404 hires), lateral incentives for deputy sheriffs (49 hires), sign‑on compensation bonuses for engineers and probation staff, employee referral bonuses for hard‑to‑fill jobs, enhanced relocation payments and classification premiums (for example, a 5% professional‑engineer premium and a 10% location premium for clinicians in detention settings). Winterbottom said targeted pay flexibilities and top‑step hiring were also used to attract applicants for difficult classifications.

The county reported a 92% year‑over‑year retention rate and cited Gallup guidance recommending a retention rate of at least 90%. Departments identified ongoing hiring challenges in nationally tight labor markets for engineers, nurses, medical examiners, licensed behavioral health clinicians and sworn public‑safety roles.

Public commenters echoed worker concerns. County employees from public works, behavioral health and the medical examiner's office described local wage pressure, long hiring timelines and vacancies that slow service delivery. Several union speakers argued the board should free additional funds to raise pay and retain staff; county management and several supervisors described incentives already in use and said the county will continue to monitor vacancies and bring forward compensation proposals where required.

The board did not need a formal vote to accept the AB 2561 presentation; supervisors thanked staff and labor representatives and signaled willingness to continue addressing recruitment and retention during the budget process.

Ending: Supervisors said they would monitor vacancy trends into the coming fiscal year and expected the Department of Human Resources and departments to continue using targeted incentives and national recruitment channels to fill critical roles.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","5-6-2025 County of San Diego Board of Supervisors Meeting","oneSentenceSummary","County staff told the Board of Supervisors that San Diego County's vacancy rate is about 6% with roughly 1,200 vacancies and a 92% year‑over‑year retention rate; no single bargaining unit exceeded the 20% threshold that would have required more detailed reporting under AB 2561.","taxTitle","San Diego County, California","taxId",2838,"location","headline","shortSummary",{"_33":75,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":76,"_41":77,"_43":78,"_45":79,"_47":80,"_49":81,"_51":82,"_53":83,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":84,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":85,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":56,"_73":56},6566774,"San Diego supervisors reject proposal to reform reserve policy to unlock funds for potential federal cuts",4929,6720000,11649000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3202805-fc6e970463d3323e66afd784c3492028&start=6720&end=11649","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3202805-fc6e970463d3323e66afd784c3492028/thumbnail_6720000.jpg","/articles/6566774/San-Diego-County/California/San-Diego-supervisors-reject-proposal-to-reform-reserve-policy-to-unlock-funds-for-potential-federal-cuts","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6566774-4fbd23ffb2ecb5fbb3eeed6e778ff90f/orig.mp4?Expires=1771196305&Signature=FpYWNWYQUW6B0EXXmYNKFhVSvfjIgPrQjM5Fk~CkG9i32vLoEAXaOTQATFsuUDjmKluAwQJzhoWnCJIxqTBSdQVSKFQ2nD~18yQQbjAVd0juEDhRW2xIKcaUBr6mQ-6ZU4FYlZdb4-6~W6V2sh0kHR7GXr64MGpFBNa5KRaJllF6ziqHsLyUQO7dG~NET0sL393ZsgpVl9ca~aMFveIMbfoMs~YORoSt5wKgb1gg67VvFDD54EXp2DaHF8Oj25IL5Ra41B2i0UbVFKTNjK8Gjd0wVWV4dG8QK~jWP2DFt~c5p0UcfTI3efP7iKrdSGkVvtOk13CW0UERr-1sYz4VXg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The San Diego County Board of Supervisors on Tuesday rejected a proposal to change the county's reserve policy that would have made it easier to spend portions of the county's rainy‑day funds if federal or state funding were cut or a recession struck.

Supervisor Monica Montgomery Stepp, who co‑authored the measure with Vice Chair Lawson Reimer, moved the item after describing recent federal budget proposals and local public‑health funding reductions. \"This policy does not raid anything,\" Montgomery Stepp said during debate, framing the change as an alignment with Government Finance Officers Association guidance and as a precautionary, countercyclical tool.

Supporters said the policy would update county accounting and create a guarded mechanism to tap reserves for urgent short‑term needs. The proposed revision would base reserve targets on recurring operating expenditures (excluding one‑time capital projects), allow certain assigned and unassigned fund balances to count toward the target, and create an \"unlocked reserves\" account with strict triggers for release. The board letter said spending from that account would be capped at 25% per year and could be authorized only if the county faced: (a) significant federal cuts to programs that fund county services, (b) significant state funding reductions, (c) a recession, or (d) urgent strategic investment imperatives identified by the chief administrative officer.

Labor leaders, county employees and local officials urged approval during public comment. Crystal Irving, president of SEIU Local 221, told the board the county is \"in a rainy moment now\" and urged the supervisors to open the reserves to stabilize services and staff. Dion Akers, speaking for San Diego Mayor Todd Gloria, said the reform could unlock \"hundreds of millions of dollars\" to serve residents if federal support recedes. Legal Aid Society CEO Joanne Franciscus warned that cutting federal supports would be more costly later and said, \"The rainy day is here. It is today.\" County staff and dozens of front‑line workers described recruitment and retention problems and urged investment in pay and staffing.

Opponents, led by Supervisor Jim Desmond, said the item amounted to using one‑time funds for ongoing costs and would mask the board's prior spending decisions. \"This item proposes to raid the reserves to cover up years of this board overspending,\" Desmond said, arguing reserves should be held only for true emergencies such as wildfires or floods. Supervisor Joel Anderson said he would abstain because he had limited time to consult his district about potential impacts on capital projects.

After debate, the motion to adopt the reserve policy reform failed for lack of the required affirmative votes. The roll call recorded two aye votes (Supervisor Monica Montgomery Stepp and Vice Chair Lawson Reimer), one no (Supervisor Jim Desmond) and one abstention (Supervisor Joel Anderson); the motion did not pass.

The measure's authors and supporters said they intend to continue the discussion and may return with adjustments. Opponents said any future proposal should clearly protect capital project funding and avoid committing one‑time reserves to ongoing salary or program costs.

For now, the county's existing reserve policy remains in place. The failed motion does not itself change current budget allocations or authorize spending.

Ending: Board members said they would continue to discuss county fiscal policy and that staff would provide more detailed briefings for supervisors and the public if the topic is redocketed for further consideration.","The Board of Supervisors voted down a proposal to revise the county's reserve policy so funds could be unlocked under defined safeguards to respond to potential federal and state budget cuts. Supporters said the change would follow national best practices; opponents said it risked using one‑time money for ongoing needs.","actionData","errors"]

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County reports 6% vacancy rate, 92% retention as it meets AB 2561 reporting requirement

San Diego supervisors reject proposal to reform reserve policy to unlock funds for potential federal cuts