Flagstaff budget retreat emphasizes pay adjustments, recruitment and temporary positions to reduce vacancies

Sarah Schorn, a human-resources representative, told the Flagstaff City Council on April 24 that the city is focusing the manager’s recommended budget on “investing in our people,” citing a current vacancy rate of 12% and several recruitment and pay initiatives.

Schorn said the city’s budgeted full-time equivalents (FTEs) total 905.2 (not including temporary positions), and that the turnover rate for the prior 11-month period was 12.7%. “I'm here to talk about 1 of my favorite topics, investing in our people,” Schorn said as she summarized recruiting trends and metrics. She reported about 22 active job postings and “just over 50 requisitions” in the system. Time-to-fill averaged higher earlier in the year but has trended downward, Schorn said.

The budget team recommended a mix of onetime and ongoing staffing additions and targeted classification reviews. Onetime or project-specific recommendations cited in the presentation included an IT manager (project-based), assistants to the attorney (one-time, special projects), a fire captain to support a CAD project in dispatch (one-time), and an additional mechanic in public works (identified as a hard-to-fill role). The presentation also listed a water services supervisor and water resources specialist, a temporary sustainability administrative specialist, a community services coordinator and temporary library positions associated with Forest Lakes.

Schorn and other staff described three recruitment strategies used during the prior year: more transparency about pay ranges (including posting budgeted ranges), expanded candidate outreach, and market-based pay adjustments. Finance and HR staff said they systematically audit classifications: the FY26 recommendations include reviewing 25% of classifications annually and a focused look at 33 classifications (covering 76 FTEs) with funding targeted for those at least 7.5% behind market.

On lifeguards and seasonal staff, Schorn said the city will provide certification and training so applicants no longer need prior certification to be considered for hire: “We'll actually train them,” she said, describing a push to address lifeguard and summer-camp staffing shortages.

Council members asked about whether the modest number of new positions had been offset by reductions elsewhere; staff said divisions did not identify reductions and that the total budgeted FTE count would increase only slightly (from roughly 905 to about 909). Several council members asked how requests are prioritized; staff described the budget team’s collaborative review of division requests, priorities and fiscal constraints.

Library positions tied to Forest Lakes were discussed as county-funded through an Intergovernmental Agreement (IGA). Brandy Souda, the city’s finance director, explained the county payment process: “We have an IGA with the county, and there is a formula that was developed on how much each library gets. So, twice a year, the county sends us a check… We also do receive a small amount to help support and do the administration of the library,” Souda said.

Staff emphasized these personnel decisions are part of the manager’s recommended budget and will be finalized during the formal budget adoption process; several items were described as one-time funding or contingent on future classification reviews.