City Council Memorandum
TO: HONORABLE MAYOR AND CITY COUNCIL DATE: FEBRUARY 24, 2026 FROM: HUMAN RESOURCES DEPARTMENT WARDS: ALL SUBJECT: CITYWIDE WORKFORCE VACANCIES – California Assembly Bill 2561 ISSUE:
California Assembly Bill 2561 (AB 2561) was approved by Governor Newsom on September 22, 2024, and went into effect as of January 1, 2025. The California Legislature determined that vacancies are widespread amongst public agencies and can be a significant problem because vacancies require employees to take on heavier workloads, resulting in burnout and increased turnover, which could negatively impact the delivery of public services. The report and presentation before City Council reflect vacancy data associated with the calendar year 2025.
RECOMMENDATION:
That the City Council
Conduct a public hearing and receive and file the City of Riverside’s Workforce Vacancy report.
BACKGROUND:
On September 22, 2024, Governor Newsom signed AB 2561 into law to amend the Meyers-Milias-Brown Act (“MMBA”) and create Government Code Section 3502.3 (GC 3502.3), thereby creating a new obligation for public agencies to publicly address the status of their vacancies. The legislature declared there is a statewide interest in ensuring that public agency operations are appropriately staffed and that high vacancy rates do not undermine the agency’s ability to provide programs and services to their residents.
GC 3502.3 requires public agencies to present the status of their vacancies and recruitment and retention efforts during a public hearing before their governing board at least once per fiscal year prior to the adoption of a final budget for the fiscal year. During the presentation, the public agency is also required to identify any changes to policies, procedures, or recruitment activities that may lead to obstacles in the hiring process.
DISCUSSION:
AB 2561 requires a public agency to present the status of vacancies and recruitment and retention efforts at a public hearing at least once per fiscal year, prior to the adoption of the new budget, and entitles the recognized employee organizations to present at the hearing. If the number of job vacancies within a single bargaining unit meets or exceeds 20% of the total number of authorized full-time positions, the bill requires the public agency, upon request of the recognized employee organization, to include specified information during the public hearing.
Additionally, if the number of vacancies meets or exceeds 20% of the total number of authorized full-time positions in a particular bargaining unit, the public agency shall include the following information in its presentation upon request of the recognized employee organization:
1. The total number of job vacancies within a bargaining unit.
2. The total number of applicants for vacant positions within the bargaining unit.
3. The average number of days to complete the hiring process from when a position is posted.
4. Opportunities to improve compensation and other working conditions.
GC 3502.3 entitles recognized employee organizations, regardless of the vacancy rate, to make a presentation before the governing board of a public agency during the same public hearing in which the public agency makes its annual presentation on vacancies.
City of Riverside Bargaining/Employee Groups and corresponding vacancy rates as of December 26, 2025 Bargaining Unit
Total FTE
Vacant FTE*
Vacancy Rate
FIRE (RCFA)
217
5 2.30%
FIRE MANAGEMENT (RFMG)
10 1
10.00%
GENERAL (SEIU)
938.39
140.5
14.97%
REFUSE (SEIU)
43 7
16.28%
POLICE (RPOA)
354
28 7.91%
POLICE MANAGEMENT (RPAA)
23 0
0.00%
POLICE SUPERVISORY (RPOA)
52 1
1.92%
PUBLIC UTIL FIELD SUPERVISORY (IBEW)
32 3
9.38%
PUBLIC UTILITIES FIELD (IBEW)
205
25 12.20%
WASTEWATER (IBEW)
19 3
15.79%
Unrepresented (Executive, Senior Management, Management, Professional, Para-Professional, Supervisory, Confidential) 740
100
13.51%
City-Wide Totals:
2633.39
313.5
11.90%
*Vacancy data is fluid as separations, retirements, new-hires, and promotions are always in progress; vacant FTEs are as of 12/31/2025 a point in time.
Per the requirements of AB 2561, there is no further reporting necessary because no bargaining unit / employee group has a 20%, or higher, vacancy rate.
The City offered a Hiring Incentive for Lateral Police Officers and Public Safety Dispatchers during 2025. Through this program, the City hired nine Lateral Police Officers and one Public Safety Dispatcher. Additionally, all positions are advertised on the City’s website, Governmentjobs.com and CareersinGovernment.com. These two websites are specific to public agency positions, and they push out additional advertising to a variety of diverse sites. The recruitment team regularly attends career/job fairs with various target groups including community events, colleges/universities, high schools, etc. For difficult to recruit positions, the position was additionally advertised with an industry specific organization/website.
FISCAL IMPACT:
There is no fiscal impact associated with the receipt and filing of this report.
Prepared by: Maggie Tanner, Principal Human Resources Analyst Approved by: Rene Goldman, Human Resources Director
Certified as to
availability of funds: Julie Nemes, Interim Finance Director Approved by: Edward Enriquez, Assistant City Manager/Chief Financial Officer/City Treasurer Approved as to: Rebecca McKee-Reimbold, Interim City Attorney