County reports vacancy rates under AB 2561; several public‑safety units exceed 20% threshold

Sutter County HR analyst Jasmine Core presented the county’s annual AB 2561 vacancy report, which lists position counts and vacancy rates for each bargaining unit and supplies additional details where the vacancy rate meets or exceeds the 20% threshold. Core reported the Sutter County Employees Association has 754 positions with about 17% unfilled; the Peace Officers Association shows 55 positions with 20% unfilled (11 vacancies); the Probation Officers unit shows 39 positions with 20.5% unfilled (8 vacancies) and 40 applicants; and the Fire Professional unit reported 21 positions with a 23.8% vacancy (five vacancies) with two recruitments in the pipeline.

"AB 2561 is a relatively new California law that requires local agencies to present on an annual basis on vacancy rates within each bargaining unit," Core said, explaining the data elements that must be reported when a unit reaches the reporting threshold. She and board members discussed recruitment challenges — low wages, limited qualified applicants and lengthy hiring timelines — and staff outlined steps including targeted recruitments, marketing, updated job specifications and career ladders.