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Solano County employees urge bigger pay increases as staffing strain hits public services
Summary
County employees and a librarian told the Board of Supervisors that a proposed multi‑year 3% COLA will not cover sharp rises in housing and living costs, and they warned chronic understaffing is degrading county services and public safety response times.
During the public‑comment period at the Solano County Board of Supervisors meeting, frontline county workers urged the board to negotiate a more substantial multi‑year cost‑of‑living adjustment and to address chronic staffing shortages that, they said, are harming services.
Amber Searcy, a nurse with the Family Health Services Clinic, told the board she has worked in Solano County for more than 20 years and that a 3% increase over three years would not keep pace with rising living expenses. "When we get groceries, just four bags at Walmart is over $200," Searcy said, adding that rent for a two‑bedroom in Solano County now often runs between $2,000 and $3,000 a month. She asked the board to approve "a fair contract" that would materially improve employees' lives.
Jennifer LaRiviere, a librarian who identified herself with SCIU, said residents are seeing the consequences of understaffing across county services. "Because of this county's bad faith bargaining and chronic understaffing, the people we serve — my family, my neighbors, and yours too — are the ones paying the price," LaRiviere said, citing fewer dispatchers and reduced staffing in health and social services that lengthen response times and create backlogs for vulnerable residents.
Both speakers framed their appeals as not only compensation issues but workforce‑capacity problems that affect county residents' access to services. LaRiviere urged the board to be "a responsible employer" and to prioritize recruiting, respecting and retaining staff who keep the community safe and healthy.
Board members did not take immediate action on those public comments during the meeting; after the public‑comment period the board proceeded to the consent calendar and later recessed to closed session for labor negotiations and other matters. The comments are part of ongoing labor negotiations referenced in the agenda under closed‑session items for conference with labor negotiators.
