Orange County approves higher pay steps for public health nurses and LPNs to ease recruitment

Orange County legislators voted to reallocate the public health nurse classification from grade 14 to grade 16 and to allow hiring at advanced step 5, moving the 2025 hourly salary for that position from $42.53 to $49.81 when a hire is deemed necessary by the commissioner of human resources. The Legislature also authorized hiring licensed practical nurses (LPNs) at step 5 in the health department, increasing the LPN hourly rate from $25.12 to $29.16 when a hire is deemed necessary.

The measures passed by voice vote with no recorded opposition. Allison Tayac, Deputy Commissioner of Human Resources, presented the requests as part of legislative request number 48 and said the adjustments were aimed at improving recruitment for nursing titles.

Lisa Leighton, Health Department staff member, described steep losses of nursing personnel after the COVID‑19 pandemic: “We did have a very large number of nurses either retire or resign after COVID…we have not been able to fill their positions, at all,” and said the county currently has no public health nurses and only two supervising public health nurses and a director where they previously had eight or nine nursing staff.

Leighton told the Legislature that applicants for public health nursing positions were turning down offers after seeing the posted salary. She said the department hopes the higher grade and the advanced hiring step will attract candidates seeking regular hours and a different pace than acute‑care nursing, though she acknowledged the county cannot compete with some high‑pay acute‑care positions.

Officials said the LPN grade will remain grade 8; the request was limited to allowing the health department to recruit at an advanced hiring step (step 5) similar to how some other local employers recruit LPNs. County staff said LPNs in the health department are on the regular civil service schedule and therefore will ultimately be paid slightly less than LPNs at certain other county facilities that have a differential schedule.

During the discussion, commissioners asked staff to share competitive pay comparisons for surrounding hospitals and agencies. Tayac said the county has conducted research on local pay rates and will provide that information to the clerk.

The motions were introduced by the commissioner of human resources and were seconded on the record; the Legislature approved both requests by voice vote. The changes are authorized “when deemed necessary by the commissioner of human resources,” and will take effect for hires made in 2025.