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City releases AB2561 vacancy report; council hears unions’ concerns over staffing and demotions
Summary
City staff presented the AB2561 annual vacancy report showing several bargaining groups with notable vacancy rates (dispatchers 24.14%). Unions said reported counts understate workload and raised concerns about demotions, contracting out, and outdated job descriptions; council asked HR for more accurate reporting and timeline for the class & comp study.
City human-resources staff presented the AB2561 annual vacancy report June 3, summarizing May 1, 2026 staffing levels across seven bargaining groups and explaining recruitment steps and challenges. Andrea Russell, HR director, said the city currently shows 122 total vacant positions, with the San Bernardino Police Dispatch Association reporting a 24.14% vacancy rate for dispatch (7 vacancies of 29 budgeted positions) — a rate that triggers additional reporting under AB2561.
Russell said the city has onboarded 172 full‑time employees fiscal‑year‑to‑date (116 promotions, 56 new hires) but still faces turnover and long times-to-hire (average ~177 days for dispatch positions). She said compensation is a key recruitment challenge and that the city’s class-and-compensation study is underway and expected to be finished in roughly three to six months.
Union representatives said the slide numbers do not capture operational strain. Antonet McDaniel of ASME Local 4710 (San Bernardino Police Civilians Association) said the union disputes some reported vacancy counts and cited concerns that sworn officers are being demoted into civilian positions without proper consultation and that some positions have been contracted out without adequate notice to the union. "We want the job descriptions modernized and internal promotion paths protected," McDaniel said. Stephanie Castro of SBCMA urged the city to use the class-and-comp study to address compensation and to correct inconsistencies she identified between this year’s and last year’s vacancy reports.
Council members pressed HR and the city manager about the study timeline and transparency. Council and labor leaders discussed personnel-demotion rules and the department-level personnel and training unit’s role; HR staff said voluntary demotions follow personnel rules and are processed as changes in classification. Council received the AB2561 report (receive-and-file) and directed staff to provide additional documentation requested by unions, especially for groups with vacancy rates over 20%. The council did not take further action this evening.
