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Board holds public hearing on vacancies and recruitment; county reports higher vacancy rates in select health roles
Summary
Merced County held an AB 2561 public hearing Aug. 26 and reported an overall six‑month vacancy rate near 14%, with higher shortages in some public‑health classifications and targeted recruitment steps under way.
Merced County held the required public hearing under Assembly Bill 2561 (Gov. Code §3502.3) on Aug. 26 to discuss current job vacancies, recruitment and retention strategies.
Deputy CEO Summer Moniz presented six‑month data covering Oct. 2024 through March 2025. The overall county vacancy rate during that window fluctuated between 13.9% and 14.6%; the county’s five‑year vacancy range has been roughly 9% to 17.3%. Moniz said those rates are “within the statewide average for California counties,” and she noted the county added 25 full‑time positions in the reporting window, completed 202 new hires and promoted 110 employees.
The presentation identified one bargaining group — AFSCME Unit 6 (health services) — with a vacancy rate above 20% in the reporting period (32.9%). Moniz said many of those vacancies were concentrated in public health during a period of leadership transition and that hiring activity intensified after new leadership was in place. The county reported a 50% improvement in filling unit 6 vacancies between March and Aug. 15 and said the department had made multiple offers to reduce the remaining gaps.
Human Resources staff outlined targeted recruitment steps for hard‑to‑fill classes, including: pairing licensure‑based and degree‑based classifications to increase hiring flexibility for nursing and mental‑health roles; expanding partnerships with UC Merced and regional colleges; creating internships for behavioral‑health clinician pipelines; and offering hiring and referral incentives for specified public‑safety and hard‑to‑fill roles.
Moniz provided operational metrics for the AFSCME unit: 32 vacancies, 644 total applications for those positions in the reporting period, 361 qualified applicants and an average time to hire of 119 days (about 17 weeks) for those job series. The department noted background checks and DOJ/FBI clearances can lengthen timelines.
Representatives of bargaining units addressed the board; Deputy District Attorney Andre Margaine (Unit 7) and Merced County Deputy Sheriffs Association President Roberto Torres (Units 10 and 14) emphasized recruitment and compensation concerns for attorneys, deputies, dispatchers and other public‑safety staff. The hearing was informational only; no board action was required or taken.
