Board approves elimination of five agriculture department positions amid budget shortfall; employee voices concern about hiring patterns

The Fresno County Board of Supervisors on June 24 approved a personnel action that will eliminate five positions and reclassify two within the Department of Agriculture, a move staff said was necessary to address a projected budget shortfall for fiscal year 2025–26.

Agricultural Commissioner Melissa Cragin told the board the proposal would delete five positions (four currently filled) and reclassify two positions; she said the reductions were designed to reduce a projected shortfall while minimizing impacts on mandated programs and services. Cragin said the department would try to preserve other revenue sources to avoid more service impacts.

During public comment, Vera Scott Slater, a Department of Agriculture employee who said she would be affected, urged the board not to approve the eliminations. She presented a timeline of recent hirings and promotions in the department and said those decisions — combined with the proposed layoffs — would reduce experienced staff while new supervisory hires were being made. She asked the board and the county administrative office to revisit other options that would preserve current county staff and mitigate layoffs.

Board members acknowledged the difficulty of the decision and recognized that department heads face tough choices to balance budgets while trying to find positions for affected staff within the county. A motion to approve the salary‑resolution amendment and position deletions carried; the chair announced the motion carried after the aye vote.

County staff said the personnel actions may lead to layoffs if affected employees cannot be reassigned to suitable positions elsewhere in the county. Supervisors asked county administration to treat impacted employees with dignity and to look for reassignment opportunities where feasible.