V ACANCY, RECRUITMENT, & RETENTION EFFORTS REPORT
OVERVIEW
Assembly Bill 2561 (AB 2561) amended the Meyers-Milias-Brown Act by adding Government Code Section 3502.3, which requires local public agencies to enhance transparency and accountability in public sector staffing. The full text of the bill is available at: AB 2561 Bill Text.
The purpose of AB 2561 is to address growing concerns over staffing shortages in public agencies, which can lead to increased workloads, employee burnout, lower morale, and quality of public services to citizens.
Key provisions of AB 2561 require agencies to:
• Report annually on staffing vacancies, recruitment, and retention efforts. • Identify any internal policies or practices that may inhibit hiring or retention. • Provide recognized bargaining units with an opportunity to participate in the public hearing.
• If any bargaining unit exceeds a 20% vacancy rate, provide additional data upon request, including the total number of job vacancies within the bargaining unit, the total number of applicants for vacant positions within the bargaining unit, average number of days to complete the hiring process when position posted and opportunities to improve compensation and other working conditions.
In compliance with AB 2561, the City of Lancaster has invited the Teamsters Local 986 (Teamsters) Union and the Police Officers Association (POA) to participate in this hearing.
WORKFORCE OVERVIEW
As of June 1, 2026, the City of Lancaster has 358 full-time equivalent (FTE) budgeted positions.
Of these positions, 118 are represented by recognized bargaining units. Teamsters Local 986 represents 85 budgeted positions, of which 80 are currently filled and the Police Officers Association represents 33 budgeted positions, of which 17 are currently filled.
Although the 5100 Series employee group represented by the Police Officers Association exceeds the 20% vacancy threshold, this elevated vacancy rate is primarily attributable to two factors. First, the City Council approved the addition of 20 new positions on February 24, 2026, 18 of which belong to the 5100 series. The second main factor being law enforcement roles have a much longer recruitment timeline due to rigorous qualification requirements, including additional testing, a much more in-depth background check, psychological evaluation, and POST requirements. The 5100 series employee group is the only employee group that exceeds the 20% vacancy threshold.
• Overall Vacancy Rate: 9.78%
With the recent expansion of the Lancaster Police Department, vacancies in law enforcement roles disproportionately affect the overall vacancy rate due to the longer recruitment timelines and POST requirements.
• Adjusted Vacancy Rate (excluding Police Officer/Sergeant classifications): 5.31% Vacancy Rate Calculation:
Vacancy Rate (%) = (Number of Vacant Positions / Total Authorized Positions) × 100 Summary of Vacancy Rates by Employee Group (as of June 1, 2026):
Employee Groups FTE's
Budgeted Employees Positions
Eliminated Vacancies Vacancy
Rate
2000 Series 5 5 0 0 0.00% (Executives)
2100 Series 2 2 0 0 0.00% (Police Executives)
2200 Series 2 2 0 0 0.00% (Contracted Executives)
3000 Series 37 36 0 1 2.70% (Mid-Management)
4000 Series 166 157 0 9 5.42% (Full-Time Salaried)
5000 Series 28 23 1 4 14.29% (FT Hourly Non-Union)
5100 Series 33 17 0 16 48.48% (Hourly FT Law Enforcement - POA) 6000 Series 85 80 0 5 5.88% (Hourly FT - Local 986 Teamsters Union) City of Lancaster Total 358 322 1 35 9.78%
*For a breakdown of all vacancies see to Exhibit A
RECRUITMENT ACTIVITY
In 2025, the City filled 80 full-time positions and hired 125 part-time/temporary employees.
Recruitment efforts yielded:
• 6,745 full-time applications
• 6,272 part-time/temporary applications
While application volume remains strong, the City continues to experience challenges in recruiting for certain specialized and hard-to-fill positions, particularly within law enforcement, engineering, technical, and executive-level classifications.
Several factors contribute to recruitment challenges, including increased competition among public agencies for qualified candidates, extended hiring timelines for positions requiring specialized certifications or comprehensive background investigations, and evolving workforce expectations regarding flexible work arrangements. Additionally, a portion of applicants either do not meet minimum qualifications or withdraw from the recruitment process after accepting employment elsewhere.
To address these challenges, the City continues to evaluate and enhance its recruitment strategies through targeted advertising, expanded outreach efforts, participation in career fairs and professional organizations, and ongoing process improvements designed to reduce time-to-fill vacancies. The City is also implementing NEOGOV , with an anticipated go-live date of July 2026, to streamline recruitment, onboarding, and applicant communication processes. These efforts are intended to improve the candidate experience, increase recruitment efficiency, and strengthen the City's ability to attract and retain a highly qualified workforce.
EMPLOYEE SEPARATIONS
During calendar year 2025, thirty-two full-time employees separated from City employment.
Separation activity consisted of a variety of voluntary and involuntary departures, including career advancement opportunities, retirements, personal circumstances, and organizational transitions.
Reasons for separation included:
• 9 retirements
• 6 employees who accepted positions at other municipalities • 4 employees who accepted positions with other public agencies • 4 employees who transitioned to Lancaster Choice Energy • 4 terminations
• 2 employees who voluntarily resigned without securing other employment • 1 employee who accepted a private-sector opportunity
• 1 employee who voluntarily resigned for family medical caregiving • 1 employee who relocated out of state
These figures reflect common workforce trends and highlight the importance of maintaining effective recruitment and retention strategies. The City continues to evaluate employee engagement, professional development opportunities, career advancement pathways, workplace flexibility, and compensation competitiveness to support workforce stability and retain a highly qualified workforce.
EMPLOYEE RETENTION
The City continues to actively implement programs to retain and support its workforce, including:
• Conducting annual employee engagement surveys to identify opportunities for organizational improvement and to enhance the employee experience • Completing a comprehensive Classification and Compensation Study to ensure job duties, classification structures, and compensation levels remain aligned with organizational needs and competitive in today’s workforce marketplace • Modernizing the Personnel Rules and Regulations to improve clarity, consistency, and operational effectiveness
• Successfully completing labor negotiations with:
o Local 986 Teamsters Union
o Police Officers Association
• Continuation of a comprehensive benefits package and flexible scheduling options o The City offers fully employer-paid medical, dental, and vision coverage for full- time employees including their eligible dependents
• Recognizing employee contributions through longevity awards and employee recognition programs
• Supporting continued professional development and career growth opportunities for employees at all levels of the organization
• Continuing the Lancaster Leadership Academy to develop future leaders and promote internal advancement opportunities
• Implementing NEOGOV Insights and Onboarding to enhance the recruitment, onboarding, and offboarding experience for employees
o Expected go-live date of July 2026
Retention data indicates that employee turnover is most prevalent during the early years of employment, emphasizing the importance of effective onboarding, employee engagement, and career development initiatives. The City will continue to evaluate workforce trends and implement strategies that support employee satisfaction, professional growth, and long-term organizational success.
ORGANIZATIONAL SELF-ASSESSMENT
In accordance with AB 2561, the City of Lancaster continues to evaluate its recruitment, hiring, and retention practices to identify opportunities for improvement and address workforce challenges. The City recognizes that maintaining a stable and qualified workforce requires ongoing assessment of internal processes, market conditions, and employee needs.
Current areas of focus include:
• Exploring new job advertisements and outreach, especially for hard-to-fill roles such as Police Officers, Sergeants, Dispatchers, Engineers, and executive-level classifications • Evaluating compensation and benefits against market benchmarks to ensure continued competitiveness
• Improving onboarding processes and employee engagement touchpoints These strategies aim to strengthen the City’s position as an employer of choice, support organizational resilience, and ensure the effective delivery of public services.
Hiring Challenges
• Extended hiring timelines for law enforcement positions due to comprehensive background investigations, psychological evaluations, medical examinations, and POST certification requirements
• Limited pools of qualified candidates for specialized, technical, and leadership positions • Increased competition among public agencies and private-sector employers for skilled and experienced professionals
• Evolving workforce expectations regarding flexible work arrangements and workplace culture
Retention Challenges
• Retirement eligibility among long-tenured employees
• Competition from larger agencies with greater promotional opportunities • Difficulty retaining employees in highly specialized and technical classifications where market demand exceeds available talent
Through continued evaluation of workforce trends, employee feedback, compensation practices, and organizational processes, the City remains committed to strengthening its workforce, enhancing employee engagement, and ensuring the effective delivery of public services to the community.
CONCLUSION
The City of Lancaster remains committed to maintaining a stable, engaged, and high-performing workforce while ensuring compliance with the requirements of Assembly Bill 2561. As of June 1, 2026, the Police Officers Association bargaining unit is the only employee group that exceeds the 20% vacancy threshold established by Government Code Section 3502.3. This elevated vacancy rate is primarily attributable to the recent expansion of the Lancaster Police Department, which added numerous new sworn positions, as well as the extended recruitment timelines associated with law enforcement hiring requirements, including testing, background investigations, psychological evaluations, and POST certification requirements.
The City continues to actively recruit qualified candidates for these positions and anticipates vacancy levels will decrease as newly authorized positions are filled. All other employee groups remain below the statutory threshold, reflecting the City's ongoing efforts to recruit, retain, and support a qualified workforce.
The City's recently completed Classification and Compensation Study found that Lancaster's compensation and benefits are generally competitive with, and often exceed, those offered by comparable cities of similar size and geographic location. These findings reinforce the City's commitment to maintaining competitive compensation practices while supporting recruitment and retention objectives.
The City will continue to monitor workforce trends, evaluate hiring and retention practices, engage with employee groups, and implement strategies that strengthen organizational effectiveness to attract, retain, and support its employees.