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City reports 10.8% vacancy rate under AB 2561; council discusses frozen positions and recruitment barriers
Summary
Finance manager Martine Beltran presented the city's annual AB 2561 staffing report: 74 full-time positions, vacancy-rate snapshots (July 2025: 5.4%; Dec 2025: 6.8%; current: 10.8%), 11 recruitments completed and eight hires. Council asked how frozen budgeted positions affect the vacancy figures and sought clarity about reporting and next steps.
Martine Beltran, the city's finance manager, presented the City of St. Helena's annual report on vacancies, recruitment and retention required by Assembly Bill 2561 during the June 23 council meeting.
Beltran said the city maintains 74 approved full-time positions. The report snapshot showed a vacancy rate of 5.4% in July 2025, 6.8% in December 2025 and 10.8% at the time of reporting; staff noted that a hire completed the day before the meeting reduced the total vacancies from eight to seven. Beltran said the city completed 11 recruitments for full-time roles during the fiscal year and filled eight positions, with three active recruitments nearing completion.
Beltran broke the data down by bargaining group: the Police Officers Association had a 16.7% vacancy rate in July 2025 but reached 0% after hires; the Professional Firefighters Association held a 0% vacancy rate year-round; and the St. Helena Employees Association (SHEA) rose to 12.8% in the most recent snapshot. City staff cited competitive regional hiring markets (police sign-on bonuses, relocation incentives) and certification requirements for chief plant operators as continuing hiring challenges, plus local housing pressures and commutes that complicate recruitment.
Councilmembers and members of the public asked whether the AB 2561 report distinguishes between positions that the city intends to fill and positions that were frozen or intentionally left vacant during the budget process. Beltran and city staff said the 74 approved full-time positions reflect positions that were budgeted; positions frozen at budget adoption are not included in the total FTE count, but positions that became vacant during the fiscal year remain part of the fiscal-year FTE snapshot and therefore appear in the vacancy rate.
Resident Diana Griffin — representing the Friends and Foundation that supports the public library — urged the council to annotate reports to show frozen positions and other context so the public can compare like to like year to year.
Councilmembers asked staff to provide follow-up details (part-time FTE equivalents, duration of vacancies by department and any positions intentionally left frozen) as part of upcoming budget discussions.
