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Care workers and public defenders press supervisors on staffing and pay in public comments
Summary
Multiple public commenters during public comment urged Solano County supervisors to address staffing shortages and low wages for IHSS care providers and public defenders, citing comparisons with nearby counties and calling for bargaining in good faith and higher wages to stem attrition and protect vulnerable residents.
During the public-comment period on April 7, several speakers urged the Board of Supervisors to take immediate action to address workforce shortages affecting county services.
Jessica Lavender, speaking on behalf of IHSS provider Nicole Neff, told the board low wages are driving a care crisis that leaves seniors and people with disabilities without help. "We know that this county has the financial ability to pay care workers more than what is being offered, and 50¢ will not cut it," she said, and cited neighboring rates: Yolo $19.05, Napa $20.90, Contra Costa $20.03 as comparisons that are luring workers away.
Nick Folloy, a long-time public defender, described attrition and recruitment problems in the county’s public defender and district attorney offices and warned of lost institutional knowledge when staff leave for higher-paying jurisdictions. Mari Buie, a local public defender, described personal and professional strain and appealed to supervisors to consider budget changes to retain staff.
Speakers and union representatives asked the board to bargain in good faith and to consider larger increases than the incremental amounts under discussion, arguing that modest raises will not prevent caregivers from seeking better-paying work. Commenters asked supervisors to prioritize budget strategies that retain frontline staff and sustain essential services.
