Board pauses civil‑service rule changes for Probation, orders talks with unions after heated debate

The Board spent a prolonged portion of March 24 discussing proposed temporary changes to county civil‑service rules that the Probation Department and County leadership say are needed to respond to an ongoing staffing emergency, court scrutiny and state oversight threats.

Supervisor Janice Hahn and others pressed for greater labor engagement before final action, while Supervisors Kathryn Barger and Holly J. Mitchell emphasized the urgency of corrective measures to protect youth and staff. County counsel and the Chief Executive Office explained that the Board’s prior declaration of emergency allows temporary rule changes to be adopted now with a legal requirement to meet and confer with unions as soon as practical. Departmental human resources staff described operational problems the changes aim to address — evidence preservation in disciplinary hearings, longer probationary evaluation periods for new hires, and options to resolve protracted discipline cases more quickly.

Labor representatives, union business agents, community advocates and staff testified at length. Unions said they support accountability and reforms but object to bypassing the usual negotiation process; several asked for a seat at the table and expressed concern about precedent. Supervisors debated whether to adopt emergency rules immediately, and whether adopting them would undercut future meet‑and‑confer negotiations. Recognizing both the legal authority of an emergency declaration and the need for labor buy‑in, the Board agreed to continue the ordinance for a public hearing on April 28 and to initiate meet‑and‑confer outreach within two weeks. The continuance was intended to allow direct discussions with union leadership and a progress report back to the Board.