Bakersfield, Calif: SEIU 521 releases the following statement that may be attributed to Patricia Gomez, Administrative Coordinator in Kern County Planning Department, and SEIU 521 Kern County Chapter Vice President.
“Today’s County meeting included an Assembly Bill 2561 vacancy hearing, and it made one thing clear: Kern County has a staffing crisis and a transparency problem.
The County reports an 11.25% vacancy rate in SEIU-represented positions, but that likely understates the problem because hard-to-fill positions are often removed from budgets. Combined with nearly 15% of employees having less than one year of service, vacancies and turnover are stretching public services thin. Workers across Kern County are saying the same thing: we need more staff.
Taxpayers should also be concerned that staffing cuts and high turnover in the Auditor-Controller’s Office have delayed required audits that measure whether residents are receiving the services they deserve. At the same time, County fund balances continue to grow. Between fiscal years 2020 and 2024, the General Fund balance increased by 82%, the Behavioral Health Fund balance increased by 56%, and the Public Safety Realignment Fund balance increased by 309%. These funds are intended to provide critical safety and health services, not hoarded while community needs go unmet.
Our movement, Fix Kern, will continue fighting for transparency, accountability, and results for taxpayers and the public servants who serve them.”
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Service Employees International Union, Local 521 represents 72,000 public- and nonprofit, private-sector workers in California’s Bay Area, the Central Coast, and in the Central Valley. Under a Community First vision, we are committed to making sure the needs of our community, and the vital services we provide our community, come first. We believe our communities thrive when residents, leaders and workers recognize that we are all in this together when it comes to our safety, health, and well-being.
