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City hears concerns over staffing cuts as HR reports 15% vacancy rate under AB 2561
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Summary
Human Resources presented 2025 vacancy and recruitment data under AB 2561; unions and police associations warned planned budget cuts would eliminate dozens of vacant positions and weaken city service capacity.
Monica Walker, representing Berkeley’s human resources department, told the City Council on April 21 that the city’s average vacancy rate in 2025 was about 15 percent and that HR filled 248 vacancies during the year while 229 vacancies were created. The presentation, required by Assembly Bill 2561 (government code section 3502.3), covered recruitment steps, outreach strategies and retention efforts and said HR received nearly 16,000 applications in 2025, 12,000 of them unique applicants.
The presentation noted that two bargaining units—Berkeley Fire Chief Officers Association and the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers—showed vacancy percentages above 20 percent, largely because small numerical vacancies represent larger percentages in small units. Walker said many vacancies captured in the year-end snapshot (Dec. 31, 2025) were later filled in early 2026, and HR highlighted internal promotion pathways, in-house fingerprinting and targeted recruiting as key tools.
The hearing drew lengthy comment from labor and public-safety representatives. Thomas Gregory, president of an SEIU chapter, urged the council not to eliminate significant numbers of currently vacant positions in the FY27 budget, saying that as of Dec. 31, 2025 there were 270 vacant positions citywide and 77 in his chapter. He told the council that the city’s proposed budget plan could eliminate 114 non‑sworn vacancies and 42 vacancies in his chapter, which he said would permanently reduce the city’s capacity to serve residents and limit career opportunities for union members.
Representatives of the Berkeley Police Association told council that sworn staffing has dropped substantially since earlier years, noting current authorized staffing at 179 with a reduced number of filled patrol positions. The police presenter said recent hires and trainees raise filled counts but warned that proposed reductions could mean officers respond to an estimated 32 percent more calls for service, with longer response times and less follow-up capacity.
Councilmembers asked for clarifications about the metrics used to compute the 93 percent retention figure Walker provided; she said retention was calculated from separations (retirements, involuntary separations) divided by budgeted positions. Walker and union leaders urged clearer analysis before the council finalizes budget decisions that would eliminate vacant positions.
The council closed the public hearing by unanimous roll-call vote. No budget vote was taken at the meeting; the hearing provided the statutorily required transparency step before the budget adoption process.
