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Simi Valley presents annual vacancy report; union urges careful implementation of market compensation study
Summary
City staff reported 62 job vacancies as of Dec. 31, 2025, and described retention steps; representatives for SEIU/SCIU Local 721 urged accurate and timely implementation of a market compensation study and raised concerns about notice timing for an agenda item.
City human-resources staff presented the annual position vacancy report during the council’s public hearing. Senior HR analyst Jamie Cross said the city has 532 full-time positions, 90 vacancies were created in 2025 and 86 were filled; the city reported 62 vacancies as of Dec. 31, 2025, and a 10.4% vacancy average for the year. The annual staffing turnover was 6.77%.
Cross and staff described retention steps including recent raises, increased benefits contributions, outreach at job fairs, streamlined recruitment, and updated job descriptions. When council asked about whether vacancies were intentionally kept open for budget reasons, the city manager said she reviews all requests and approves recruitments, asking department heads to justify ongoing needs.
Representatives from SCIU/SEIU Local 721 told council their vacancy rate remains near 16% for their bargaining unit and urged accurate implementation of a negotiated market compensation study, which they said should be followed per the agreement. Union representatives also criticized the timing and posting of a recent agenda item tied to compensation, and staff acknowledged a posting error but said the item met legal notice requirements. Council unanimously moved to receive and file the vacancy report.
