AGENDA ITEM
TO: HONORABLE MAYOR
AND MEMBERS OF THE CITY COUNCIL
FROM: CARLO TOMAINO
CITY MANAGER
BY: YVETTE E. AGUILAR
DEPUTY CITY MANAGER
PATRICIA AHUMADA
HUMAN RESOURCES MANAGER
SUBJECT:
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PUBLIC HEARING - AB 2561 VACANCY RATE REPORTING
summary
Summary:
On September 22, 2024, Governor Newsom signed Assembly Bill 2561 (AB 2561) into law to amend the Meyers-Millias-Brown Act (MMBA). AB 2561 added California Government Code Section 3502.3 (GC 3502.3), which mandates that public agencies hold at least one public hearing each fiscal year before the adoption of their budgets to report on vacancy levels, recruitment, and retention efforts, and allow for participation by recognized bargaining units.
In accordance with AB 2561, the City shall hold a public hearing each fiscal year to present information on vacancies, recruitment, and retention efforts. Staff presents this report in compliance with the transparency requirements related to staffing vacancies. The purpose is to ensure transparency, accountability, and responsiveness to community needs regarding the City’s staffing and employment practices.
Strategic Plan Goal(s):
Goal No. 5 High-Functioning Government: Strengthen internal communication, recruitment, retention, systems, and processes to increase the effectiveness and efficiency of City services.
recommendation
Recommendation:
Staff recommends that the City Council conduct a public hearing and receive and file the annual report.
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Fiscal Impact:
There is no fiscal impact associated with the recommended action under Government Code section 3205.3. However, addressing recruitment and retention strategies may involve future budget and bargaining considerations, which will be presented to the City Council as necessary.
Background:
On September 22, 2024, Governor Newsom signed AB 2561 into law to amend the MMBA. AB 2561 added California Government Code Section 3502.3 (GC 3502.3), which mandates that public agencies, including the City, hold at least one public hearing each fiscal year before the adoption of their budgets to report on vacancy levels, recruitment, and retention efforts, and allow for participation by recognized bargaining units. AB 2561 is intended to address the issue of job vacancies in local government, which may adversely affect the delivery of public services and employee relations.
During these public meetings, employee bargaining units are entitled to present their perspectives on the report. If the vacancy rate in a bargaining unit is at or exceeds 20%, the bargaining unit may request additional information from the City, including the number of vacancies, applicant numbers for vacant positions, hiring timelines, and efforts to improve compensation, benefits, and working conditions. The City uses a lookback period of May 1-April 30 of each year to determine vacancy reports. As of April 30, 2026, the City is below the 20% threshold for all bargaining units.
The City recognizes two bargaining units which include the Signal Hill Employees Association (SHEA) and the Signal Hill Police Officers Association (SHPOA). The City notified both units about the Public Hearing on April 30, 2026, and invited them to participate in accordance with AB 2561. Both units indicated a desire to speak as part of the Public Hearing.
Analysis:
As of April 30, 2026, the City has 113 full-time budgeted positions and a vacancy rate of approximately 16.8% citywide. Within represented groups, the vacancy rate is 17.2% for SHEA and 15.6% for SHPOA, both which are below the 20% threshold that requires additional reporting requirements. These vacancies reflect typical workforce movement, including retirements, promotions, resignations, and other separations. Overall, staff would note that given the relatively small size of the organization, even a limited number of position changes can produce noticeable fluctuations in percentage-based metrics. The percentages discussed above translate to an absolute value of 19 total vacancies citywide as of April 30, 2026.
Table 1: Vacancies per Unit (as of April 30, 2026)
|
Employee Unit |
# of Vacancies |
# of Budgeted FTEs |
% of Vacancies |
% Change from 2025 |
|
Signal Hill Management Personnel |
4 |
23 |
17.4% |
+4.9% |
|
Signal Hill Employees Association |
10 |
58 |
17.2% |
+0.3% |
|
Signal Hill Police Officers Association |
5 |
32 |
15.6% |
-6.3% |
|
FULL-TIME CITYWIDE VACANCIES |
19 |
113 |
16.8% |
-0.6% |
Recruitment Efforts:
The Human Resources Division (HR) continues to implement a proactive and results-driven approach to recruitment and onboarding. Between May 1, 2025, and April 30, 2026, the City successfully hired 18 full-time employees, including 8 Police Officers and 2 Dispatcher/Jailers, reflecting sustained efforts to address critical staffing needs. During this same period, HR conducted 47 recruitments, demonstrating a high level of activity and responsiveness to departmental vacancies.
Between May 1, 2025, and April 30, 2026, the overall citywide vacancy rate decreased by 0.6%, while SHPOA vacancy demonstrated a more significant reduction of 6.3% from the last lookback period. This notable improvement underscores the effectiveness of targeted recruitment strategies and the strong collaboration between the Human Resources Division and the Police Department.
While AB 2561 requires annual reporting on workforce vacancies and recruitment and retention efforts, the City consistently prioritized these initiatives prior to the regulatory compliance requirement. The City recognizes that successful recruitment requires identifying and attracting qualified candidates who align with organizational goals, in addition to filling the vacancies. Equally, retention efforts are essential to maintaining a stable, engaged, and high-performing workforce. Together, these strategies are critical to organizational success, particularly in today’s highly competitive public sector labor market.
Consistent with statewide trends, recruitment and retention remain especially challenging for public safety positions. Police Officer recruitment is impacted by natural attrition, as well as the significant time and financial investment required to train qualified candidates. Completion of a Police Academy typically requires six months, followed by an additional six months of field training before an officer is fully deployable. In contrast, lateral hires can be onboarded more efficiently, typically within six months, and deployed after only a few weeks of field training. To optimize the impact and immediate support to the police workforce, the City has strategically emphasized lateral recruitment while maintaining a robust entry-level process.
The City has implemented several targeted initiatives, including:
• Launch of an enhanced Police recruitment strategy featuring a revised examination plan and streamlined process utilizing the Frontline National Testing Network (NTN).
• Establishment of a Police Lateral Recruitment Incentive Program to attract experienced candidates.
• Targeted outreach for Police Officer vacancies, including focused engagement with military veterans and underrepresented demographics through social media platforms.
• Strategic social media campaigns promoting the benefits of employment with the City.
• Expanded use of industry-specific and targeted online job advertising.
• Active participation in job fairs, educational institution outreach, and community-based recruitment events.
• Continued utilization of NeoGov, LinkedIn, and other digital platforms to broaden applicant reach.
• Updates to job descriptions to ensure alignment with current industry standards and maintain competitiveness.
In 2024 and 2025, the City proactively implemented several additional strategic initiatives. While those initiatives are still in effect and ongoing, the aforementioned list is in addition to, not in lieu of, that effort. Collectively, these efforts demonstrate the City’s ongoing commitment to innovative recruitment practices and workforce stability, positioning the organization to effectively compete for talent and meet both current and future staffing needs.
Retention Efforts:
Employee retention also remains a central focus of the City’s workforce strategy. Recognizing that retention is critical to maintaining institutional knowledge and service continuity, the City has implemented a range of targeted initiatives designed to enhance employee satisfaction and competitiveness in the labor market:
• Open lines of communication with bargaining unit representatives.
• Organizational assessments of departments and implementation of changes to improve attraction and retention including classification plan amendments for the following positions: Water Utility Worker, Water Systems Supervisor, Code Enforcement Officer and Senior Building Inspector.
• Longevity Pay for Police Officers, Dispatcher/Jailers and SHEA employees.
• Enhancement of the City’s benefits package to remain competitive, including comprehensive health coverage and retirement planning resources.
• Expansion of the Tuition Reimbursement Program to encourage continuous learning and professional development.
• Ongoing efforts by the Employee Engagement Committee include monthly events and wellness initiatives that strengthen workplace culture.
• Ongoing Employee Recognition Programs including Employee of the Year/Quarter; Years of Service; Public Service Recognition Week; and other professional recognition weeks associated with specific industries.
• Strategic use of social media to highlight and recognize employee contributions, particularly for roles with limited public visibility.
• Continued investment in training and development opportunities through the California Joint Powers Insurance Authority (CJPIA), Liebert Cassidy Whitmore (LCW), and other industry-specific professional organizations.
• Maintenance of positive and proactive labor relations with SHEA and the POA, including regular engagement outside of formal negotiation cycles to address workplace issues collaboratively.
As part of the City’s workforce planning and in alignment with AB 2561, the City continues to assess internal practices and workforce conditions to identify and address recruitment and retention efforts. This ongoing self-assessment helps the City to become an employer of choice, supports organizational resilience, and ensures effective delivery of public services.
Conclusion:
The City is committed to maintaining a skilled and resilient workforce and complying with the requirements of AB 2561. After the Public Hearing process, staff recommends that the City Council receive and file the annual update. The City will continue to monitor staffing trends, address recruitment challenges, and invest in staff development and employee engagement and wellness.
Reviewed for Fiscal Impact:
_________________________
Siamlu Cox
Attachment:
A. AB 2561