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Richmond receives first AB 2561 vacancy report; unions and residents press council to fill positions and raise pay
Summary
City human resources staff presented the first statutory annual vacancy report covering 2024. Council members and union leaders pressed for clearer month-by-month hiring data, faster use of approved positions and higher pay to retain workers; no immediate staffing changes were voted.
Sharon Taylor, the city’s human resources director, presented Richmond’s first annual vacancy report required by Assembly Bill 2561, telling the City Council the report showed an 18% average vacancy rate in 2024 and a year-end staffing total of 808 full‑time equivalent positions.
Taylor said the city added 55 new budgeted positions during 2024 and opened recruitment for hundreds of classifications, but ongoing market pressures, the COVID hiring pause and a history of turnover left the city with higher-than-expected vacancies. “Our employees are our most valuable asset,” she said, framing retention and internal promotion as priorities.
The report drew extensive public comment and follow-up questions from council…
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