Atwater workforce report shows 5.7% vacancy rate; employees press council for pay adjustments

The Atwater City Council received its annual workforce update on May 11, where Human Resources Director Janice Souza said the city had 6 vacancies among 105 authorized full‑time positions as of May 1, 2026, representing a 5.7% vacancy rate.

"The purpose of this hearing is to provide transparency regarding the city's staffing levels and the efforts underway to recruit and retain employees," Souza told the council, noting vacancies span public safety, public works, parks and recreation, planning and administrative services. Souza also provided vacancy rates by bargaining unit and described recruitment and retention efforts including outreach and a citywide benefit study.

Employees who spoke during the hearing said the vacancy percentage understates the workforce problem and that pay gaps are driving turnover. "Vacancy numbers alone do not tell the full story," said Gary Ferraris, who spoke for employees. He told the council that, in the prior 90 days, nine of 51 employees in the miscellaneous bargaining unit had left — a figure he characterized as an 18% quarterly departure rate — and said departures harm institutional knowledge and service delivery.

Ferraris and others supplied pay comparisons the council had used for director positions across 12 comparator agencies and said those comparisons should be applied to frontline classifications. Ferraris cited example starting wages: a Water Operator I at about $20.30 per hour in Atwater versus a $21.30 low and $31.40 high among peer agencies; a Permit Technician I starting at about $20.75 versus a low of $23.80 and a high of $30.50; and an Administrative Assistant I starting at about $17.50, with the lowest comparator at approximately $18.90. He said those gaps leave Atwater positions roughly 25–27% below the comparator average.

Others reiterated calls for a cost‑of‑living adjustment. "We are not asking for excessive compensation or special treatment," said Joseph, an accounting technician representing the miscellaneous unit. Randy Patwan, an Accountant I, illustrated inflation’s impact, saying a dollar in 2023 required about $1.08 in 2026 to maintain purchasing power and said six employees had left the finance department in recent months. Patwan said the union proposed a 6% increase effective the next pay period followed by 4% on July 1, 2026, and said staff had not received a substantive counterproposal.

A public works technician, Michael, described outdated equipment, lower pay compared with peers and the difficulty of affording local utility bills while working for the city.

Mayor and staff thanked speakers and noted the presentation met AB 2561 reporting requirements; staff said the report was informational and no council action was required that evening. Council members said they appreciated employees’ service and would continue discussions about recruitment and compensation as part of budget and staffing work going forward.