Human Resources staff presented the data required by Assembly Bill 2561 at a June public hearing, reporting that no single bargaining unit exceeded the statute’s 20% vacancy threshold for calendar year 2024. Staff described recruitment actions taken in 2024, including more than 930 recruitments, internal promotions and outreach strategies the city uses to fill openings.

At the same time the Anaheim Municipal Employees Association (AMEA) told the council some classifications are under acute stress. AMEA President Janae Barreras said dispatch positions are operating at levels that create risk to public safety: “These positions don't just support public safety, they are public safety,” she said, noting Anaheim Police dispatch had 10 vacancies out of 32 positions and that several dispatchers have left for higher pay in neighboring cities.

What staff presented

Human Resources staff reported that in calendar-year 2024 the city ran more than 930 recruitment processes, yielded 235 internal promotions and 116 external full-time hires, and bills the average time-to-hire as approximately 60–90 days. Staff outlined recruitment tactics such as automated onboarding, a social-media recruiting presence, job-posting language that highlights scheduled salary increases and benefits, and partnerships with schools and community organizations for early-career pipelines.

Retention and workforce efforts

HR reported a citywide retention rate of approximately 93% for the period presented and detailed employee supports including mentorship, health and wellness programs, and a citywide classification-and-compensation study under way. Staff called the compensation study the principal long-term tool to address pay competitiveness and said additional initiatives under consideration include internships and apprenticeships, targeted outreach, improved candidate relationship management tools and expanded professional development.

Union and council concerns

AMESA and council members described operational impacts from localized shortages. AMEA asked the city to prioritize classifications where turnover and vacancies materially affect public safety and service delivery—dispatch and fire dispatch were singled out. Councilmembers said they would pursue follow-up, with several pointing to the ongoing classification-and-compensation study as the primary corrective step and asking staff to assess short-term options where immediate operational risk exists.

Council action

After public comment and staff discussion, the City Council voted 7–0 to receive and file the AB 2561 vacancy report. Council directed staff to continue work on recruitment and retention strategies and to provide follow-up information to address specific operational gaps identified by unions and councilmembers.

Why it matters

AB 2561 seeks transparency about municipal vacancies and pushes agencies to address workforce gaps. While Anaheim’s aggregate bargaining-unit vacancy rates did not trigger the statute’s additional disclosure threshold, the union and council cautioned that certain classifications—especially public-safety communications—can produce operational risk well before a 20% vacancy threshold is reached. Councilmembers asked HR and departments to pursue near-term actions in addition to the longer-term classification-and-compensation updates.