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Board staff outlines bilingual-audit results, July survey and budget timetable
Summary
Administrative services reported that most bilingual employees met the 10% threshold for bilingual pay; the agency will run a bilingual survey July 27–August 7 and aims to present a proposed FY 26/27 budget to the board next month.
Robert Silver, chief of administrative services, told the board on July 15 that the latest bilingual audit found all but three of 41 employees met the 10% threshold for continuing bilingual pay. Silver said the two employees who did not meet the threshold would complete monthly time ladders and could regain bilingual pay as soon as they meet 10% in a subsequent month.
Silver announced the next bilingual survey will run July 27 through August 7 and said results can be reported to the board as soon as the tallies are finalized. He also said the agency nearly has the documents needed to finalize a proposed budget for the 2026–27 fiscal year and expects to present the budget for a board vote at next month's meeting.
Board members asked whether vital public documents and forms are translated. Silver said the agency provides vital documents in Spanish, simplified Chinese and Vietnamese (added after the 2022 audit) and that telephonic vendor interpreters remain available through the agency's language service vendor when on-demand help is needed.
Members also discussed the 10% bilingual-pay threshold and heard that incidental translation below 10% is considered part of a bilingual position's base pay; additional pay is available when bilingual duties exceed 10% of the work month.
Silver said field operations recruitment is currently low: for the first time in about six years, there are no recruitments pending in field operations. He closed by noting the agency will bring a proposed budget for board consideration next month.
