County Workforce Vacancies Persist as Board Adopts $164M Behavioral Health Plan

The Alameda County Board of Supervisors spent much of its June 16 session grappling with the human cost of unfilled jobs — from overworked deputies pulling mandatory overtime to social worker caseloads stretched thin by a 25% vacancy rate — before pivoting to adopt a new three-year behavioral health spending blueprint that eliminates local prevention funding for the first time. Across more than two hours of mandated public hearings, salary ordinances, and pointed questioning about unspent pediatric care dollars, the board signaled growing impatience with departments slow to hire and spend.

• County workforce vacancy rate inches down to 19%, but social workers, deputies, and probation staff remain critically understaffed above 20%

• Fire Department posts strongest hiring gains, dropping vacancies from 17% to 13% and fully staffing dispatch

• Board adopts first-ever BHSA behavioral health plan at $164M/year, losing prevention funding under new state law

• $11.5M in unspent Measure C pediatric funds roll forward as supervisors demand a work session on Children's Hospital spending

• Deputy sheriffs' union leader calls out mandatory overtime and urges tuition reimbursement and tech-layoff recruitment

• Reparations Commission to present findings June 30 as board proclaims Juneteenth and honors community leaders

Deputies Work Mandatory Overtime as County Struggles to Fill 1 in 5 Positions

The second annual public hearing required by AB 2561 — the state law mandating counties publicly report workforce vacancies — painted a picture of modest progress and deep structural challenges across Alameda County government.

The basics: The county budgets 7,685 full-time positions. The overall vacancy rate dropped one point, from 20% to 19%. But the averages mask crisis-level shortfalls in departments that directly serve the public: social workers (SEIU Unit 005) at 25%, deputy sheriffs at 27%, and physicians and dentists (UAPD Unit 016) at 43%.

Why it matters: Every unfilled deputy slot means mandatory overtime for those still on the job. Every vacant social worker position means higher caseloads for the workers handling child welfare and safety-net services. The board is now demanding faster, more granular data to track whether recruitment investments are translating into actual hires.

Where things stand: Human Resource Services Director Margarita Zamora reported recruitment enhancements yielded a 28.3% increase in applications and shaved three days off eligibility list creation time — from 56 to 53 days. But supervisors pushed for more.

Supervisor Elisa Marquez asked for backward-looking analysis of all positions above 20% vacancy to determine how long they have been unfilled and what targeted strategies exist.

"When we get this presentation next year, is it possible to include — I want to do a look back on all the positions that have a vacancy rate of 20% or higher to look back to see how long those positions have been vacant," said Marquez.

Supervisor Nate Miley went further, questioning whether the county should set a formal vacancy rate target as a performance metric.

"I think maybe the board needs to take this up and say we want to have metrics to track, like Supervisor Marquez was saying, to track what progress we're making to get to 20% or below with all of our classifications," Miley said.

Miley also challenged the county's self-image as an "employer of choice," asking:

"We ever take a survey of our employees, you ask them, what would you consider the top 10 incentives for wanting to work in Alameda County?"

The other side: Peter Serrano, president of the Deputy Sheriff's Association of Alameda County, delivered the hearing's most urgent testimony, describing a workforce stretched to its limits.

"Right now, our deputies are still working a tremendous amount of overtime that is mandatory. It's unhealthy. We all agree. I don't think anyone disagrees with that. But they're doing a great job," Serrano said.

Serrano advocated for tuition reimbursement, a military leave bank, and medical trust benefits to compete with neighboring agencies. He also suggested the county recruit from the tech sector:

"When I hear that there's companies laying off in the private sector, I would love to tap into that. You see Google and a lot of the dot com companies laying off and we should tap into that."

Board President David Haubert directed HRS to begin providing monthly vacancy data from the Sheriff's Office and Probation Department — the two agencies with the most acute shortfalls.

"If you can measure it, you can maximize it," Haubert said.

Decisions: The board received the report after opening and closing the public hearing (For: Marquez, Tam, Miley, Haubert; Against: 0; Absent: Fortunato Bas).

What's next: Monthly vacancy reporting from the Sheriff and Probation departments begins immediately. The board signaled it will revisit whether to adopt a formal vacancy rate target.

Fire Department Posts Sharpest Hiring Gains in Year-Over-Year Comparison

In a separate but related AB 2561 hearing, the Alameda County Fire Department delivered notably better news.

Why it matters: ACFD reduced its vacancy rate from 17% to 13% — a four-point drop — with 521 budgeted positions and 67 vacancies. The department fully staffed its dispatch unit and fuel mitigation crew, two areas previously flagged as critical gaps.

Where things stand: Fire Chief William McDonald told the board of the 67 remaining vacancies, 42 are unfunded positions — meaning the staffing gap is partly a budget issue, not solely a recruitment issue.

Supervisor Lena Tam engaged with the chief on strategies that drove the improvement. The hearing was brief and largely positive.

Decisions: The board opened and closed the hearing on a 3-0 vote (For: Haubert, Márquez, Tam; Against: none; Absent: Miley, Bas).

New Behavioral Health Plan Locks in $164M Per Year — But Kills Prevention Funding

The board adopted Alameda County's first three-year integrated plan under the Behavioral Health Services Act, the new state framework replacing the Mental Health Services Act. The plan sets spending at approximately $164M annually for FY 2026-2029 — and introduces a structural change that has mental health advocates watching closely.

The basics: BHSA replaces MHSA, California's landmark 2004 mental health funding law. The new framework reorganizes local behavioral health dollars into three buckets: 30% for housing interventions, 35% for full service partnerships, and 35% for behavioral health services and supports. A key change: prevention is no longer fundable locally under BHSA. Instead, 4% goes to a statewide program administered by the Department of Public Health — estimated at just $100M total statewide.

Why it matters: The loss of local prevention funding is not cosmetic. Counties that invested in school-based mental health, early intervention for at-risk youth, and community wellness programs will need to find replacement dollars or cut those services. In Alameda County, the bridge comes from Measure W, the local behavioral health tax — but integrating those funds into the plan won't happen until fall 2026.

Where things stand: Deputy Director Vanessa Baker and Deputy Director Tracy Hazelton of Alameda County Behavioral Health walked the board through the plan's development, which included 600-plus surveys and 35-plus listening sessions. Access and navigation services and crisis services ranked as top community priorities. The plan received 103 public comments, with school-based mental health and crisis services emerging as the most common concerns.

The budget includes significant carryover from MHSA — $36.65M in the behavioral health services and supports category alone — spread over three years to achieve balance. This means spending will outpace revenue in the near term, drawing down reserves.

Supervisor Nate Miley zeroed in on the prevention gap.

"Looking at that slide that's up here, I think everyone can see that in the past we were able to put dollars into prevention. But in the future, there's no dollars in the Behavioral Health Services Act for prevention," he said.

He asked whether post-three-year legislative changes might restore local prevention authority.

Decisions: The plan passed 4-0-1 (For: Marquez, Tam, Miley, Haubert; Against: none; Absent: Fortunato Bas), combined with the Measure C vote on Items 12 and 16.

What's next: An intermittent plan update incorporating Measure W bridge funds is expected in fall 2026.

Supervisors Press on $11.5M in Unspent Children's Hospital Funds

Supervisor Nate Miley pulled the Measure C pediatric care budget adjustment from the mass motion to ask a pointed question: Why has the county spent only $5M of $17M budgeted for children's health care in year one?

The basics: Measure C, the county's safety-net health care tax, dedicates a portion of revenue to pediatric care. The first-year budget was $16.96M. Under the allocation formula, 75% of a separate tranche goes to Benioff Children's Hospital of Oakland for trauma services, with 5% for training and staffing.

Why it matters: Rolling over $11.5M in unspent funds signals either slow implementation, incomplete procurement, or both. For a safety-net program designed to serve the county's most vulnerable children, large unspent balances raise questions about whether the money is reaching patients.

Where things stand: Alameda County Health Director Aneeka Chaudhry explained the underspending was due to incomplete RFPs and ongoing hiring — not a lack of need. Miley pressed on whether the board could provide prospective guidance to Children's Hospital rather than simply reviewing spending after the fact. Supervisor Lena Tam noted that the original board letter included language about staffing adequacy, suggesting the oversight tools already exist.

Decisions: The rollover was approved 4-0-1 (For: Marquez, Tam, Miley, Haubert; Against: none; Absent: Fortunato Bas). The board requested a work session — potentially by fall — for Children's Hospital to present its spending plans directly to supervisors.

What's next: A work session with Benioff Children's Hospital is expected by fall.

Juneteenth: Reparations Commission to Present Findings June 30

Before diving into policy, the board paused for a sweeping Juneteenth proclamation. President David Haubert read a proclamation honoring the contributions of Black Americans and spotlighting Phil Long of Longevity Wines in the Livermore Valley — part of just 2% of African American winemakers nationally.

Supervisor Elisa Marquez honored Kamarlo “Marlo Da Motivator” Spooner, the labor and community advocate who was instrumental in making Juneteenth an officially recognized paid holiday for Alameda County through his work with Teamsters Local 70 and the Alameda County Labor Council.

Spooner described how his late father first inspired the push, recalling advice from the late Supervisor Richard Valle:

"This is a great idea, but you're going to have to get the community support behind you. You got to do some ground rule work, dude."

Supervisor Nate Miley announced the Reparations Commission will present its findings and recommendations to the full board on June 30 at 1:30 p.m. — a date that could mark a significant policy moment for the county.

Supervisor Nikki Fortunato Bas honored the Berkeley Juneteenth Festival, founded in 1986, and an African American quilt exhibition by the African American Quilt Guild of Oakland, on display through July 30.

Minor Items

• Consent calendar (items 69-78) approved 3-0-2 with a correction to the contract amount on item 71.

• Mass motion covered items 2-64 (excluding items pulled for separate discussion), including approximately $20M in HUD Continuum of Care grants, $19.8M in homelessness housing contracts, and an $8.5M Motorola radio contract. Passed 3-0-2.

• Supervisor Marquez clarified that item 57 — a Wellpath jail medical contract — adds positions for the reentry population and CalAIM implementation, not an extension of the contract term.

• Salary ordinance amendments (items 31 and 32) adopted on second reading, 5-0 unanimously: Senior Investment Counsel at ACERA, POST medical reimbursement, and Veterans Commissioner classification.

• Salary ordinance (item 33) introduced on first reading for Legal Assistant and Attorney Assistant classifications, 5-0. Returns for second reading.

• Technology Disruption Policy adopted to comply with SB 707 public engagement accessibility rules; requires the county to work for at least one hour to resolve any tech outage during public meetings.

• CASA Day proclaimed honoring court-appointed special advocates approaching their 40th anniversary serving abused and neglected children. Jenny Ring of Alameda County CASA accepted the proclamation.

• Minutes of June 2 and June 4 meetings approved with an amendment noting adjournment in memory of Pat Goscos.

• The board adjourned in memory of Darlene Smith, whom President Haubert described as "the first woman in California to serve as a director of a county general services agency."