City reports 6.7% vacancy rate for calendar‑year 2024; council hears AB 2561 annual staffing report

The Imperial City Council held a public hearing Wednesday to satisfy the state’s AB 2561 requirement for an annual presentation on job vacancies, recruitment and retention.

Human Resources Administrator Kristen Smith presented the calendar‑year 2024 data and said the city reviewed positions, recruitment timeframes and retention efforts under Government Code section 3502.3. “AB 2561 declares that job vacancies are a widespread and significant problem for the public sector,” Smith said, describing the law’s intent to increase transparency and public discussion of staffing shortages.

Key figures Smith presented for the 2024 review (January 1–December 31, 2024): • Budgeted full‑time positions: 124 (staff noted four positions were added in July, bringing the total from 120 to 124 during the year). • Overall average vacancy rate (year‑end monthly averages): 6.7%; highest monthly average reported 9.7%, lowest 2.5%. • Bargaining‑unit breakdown (year‑end 12/31/2024): IPOA (Imperial Police Officers Association) 3.6% vacancy; Teamsters 13.6% vacancy; MSPC/unrepresented 9.7%; none met the 20% statutory threshold. • Recruitment and fill metrics: 24 full‑time positions filled in 2024; average days to fill — 71 days for positions filled from existing eligibility lists, 101 days for new external/internal recruitments, and 39 days for internal‑only recruitments. • Applicants: 1,485 applications were received for 2024 recruitments (1,351 for full time; 134 for part time/seasonal).

Smith identified salary misalignment for some entry‑level positions (maintenance and IT technicians) as a hiring obstacle and said the city completed a classification and compensation study in December 2024; staff are discussing implementation options with labor groups. She also summarized retention efforts already in place: a multi‑year cost‑of‑living adjustment (15% over three years under labor contracts), merit increases, CalPERS participation, bilingual pay, specialty assignment pay, tuition and gym reimbursements, and employee engagement programs.

Smith provided a date‑of‑presentation staffing snapshot showing 124 budgeted full‑time positions and six current vacancies (a 4.8% vacancy rate as of the meeting). She said several pending hires had start dates in the coming week and that no council action was required at the hearing.

Why it matters: AB 2561 requires a public hearing before budget adoption and invites bargaining‑unit input to ensure transparency around staffing shortages that affect service delivery. Staff will continue recruitment and implementation work informed by the compensation study and bargaining‑unit discussions.

No bargaining‑unit representatives spoke at the hearing; staff reported the meeting satisfied the city’s AB 2561 obligations for the year.