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Santa Clara notes high vacancy rates under AB 2561; unions warn of service strain and retention gaps
Summary
Under newly effective state law AB 2561, the city presented vacancy and hiring metrics and heard bargaining-unit testimony about steep gaps in engineers, dispatchers and police staffing. Council voted to "note and file" the report for the record.
The Santa Clara City Council received a statutorily required staffing report on June 10 under Assembly Bill 2561 and formally “noted and filed” the document after presentations from city human resources staff and representatives of bargaining units. Union representatives used the session to outline recruitment and retention challenges in engineers, dispatchers and police ranks.
Deputy Human Resources Director Ashley Lancaster presented citywide recruitment metrics required by AB 2561, which mandates an annual report on vacancy rates, applicant pools and hiring timelines. Lancaster said the city’s overall vacancy rate stood at about 14.16% and that classified recruitments often take three to six months; specialized roles and background checks for public-safety positions can extend timelines further.
Two bargaining units exceeded the…
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