Police union warns of heavy overtime and staffing losses as city reports vacancy rates under AB 2561

Acting HR Director Tanya Nower Hayes presented the AB 2561-required annual public hearing on vacancies, recruitment and retention on June 3; she reported 247.5 budgeted full-time positions, a December 2024 vacancy rate of 13.4%, and about 36.5 vacancies (~15% citywide) as of May 15, 2025. She identified three bargaining units with vacancy rates of 20% or higher: administrative officers (33.3% owing to an HR director vacancy), the police officers association (POA) at 20.3% with 12 vacancies, and the municipal employees association at 22% with multiple public-works openings. Tanya summarized recent steps to speed hiring—contract recruiter, live-scan fingerprinting, hiring incentives for police—and said time-to-hire can range from about three months for administrative roles to six months or more for sworn positions.

At public comment, Officer Julio Vega (FVPOA) told the council that since July 2022 officers have worked significant mandatory overtime and urged compensation improvements to retain lateral officers and reduce burnout. He said that mandatory overtime “is real people working extended hours under increasing stress” and asked council to prioritize long-term compensation to reduce vacancy-driven overtime. Rob Wexler, an attorney representing the POA, told the council Fountain Valley’s top-step pay ranks below most Orange County agencies and urged targeted market adjustments: “For every officer you bring in, it is literally a year and a half process… You invest $250,000 in that person,” he said, noting recruiting and training costs lost when officers leave.

Council members thanked the speakers, acknowledged the staffing strain, and asked HR and finance to continue working with the POA on recruitment incentives and market comparisons. No binding compensation decision was made at the hearing; the presentation was received and the city and union signaled willingness to collaborate on next steps.