Staffing Shortages Deepen in Mendocino County as Mandated Activities Hold Steady
Union rep asks board to spell out what the county can and cannot afford to do
Not quite a year has passed since Mendocino County offered employees $25,000 to voluntarily resign in order to help close a budget gap. Since then, employees have continued to depart.
The result is a staffing crisis, SEIU 1021 Chapter President A’Kesh Eidi told the Board of Supervisors last week. Since the start of 2025, 185 union-represented employees have left, with 103 departing for personal reasons and 62 citing work or operational decisions.
The net loss of personnel translates to a deficit of 4,966 work hours every week across county operations since 2023, Eidi said.
“Numbers themselves don’t reference anything; they need context,” Eidi said during public comment. And he noted that despite the staff reduction, there has been a “zero percent decrease” in the workload constituents expect the county to handle.
Eidi’s remarks came as contract negotiations continue between the county and the union. The current three-year contract expires at the end of June.
Union representatives and employees attribute the loss of staff to an “affordability crisis” and wages that have failed to keep pace with inflation. Patrick Hickey, an SEIU representative, argued that even after recent negotiations, county workers remain three years behind current market rates. Nathan Maxman, an employee in the Assessor’s Office, warned that the county is losing specialized talent to neighboring jurisdictions like Sonoma, Solano, and Marin.
The impact of the vacancies is being felt across nearly every department:
Health Services: The department has reduced its staff by 54 positions over the last two fiscal years due to streamlining, leading to significant “staff overload and staff burnout,” according to Health Services Director Dr. Jenine Miller. Last week, Miller asked for permission to hire 18 staffers, bringing the total number of Health Services employees to 158. Without these hires, Miller warned, the county could face “fines, fees, and sanctions” from the state.
Public Defender: The office remains understaffed by five attorneys; even as it prepared to welcome one new hire, it lost two more experienced lawyers.
Sheriff’s Office: Captain Jason Caudillo reported that the office is “a good eight weeks behind” in filling critical roles, including a corrections sergeant and a fiscal manager.
Auditor-Controller/Treasurer-Tax Collector: The office recently lost an assistant treasurer-tax collector with 24 years of experience to a more “attractive” employment offer from the Superior Court and is also losing another staffer to a promotion.
Planning and Building: Director Julia Krog noted the department is “really thin” at its front counters, causing direct “service impacts” to the public.
Beyond the loss of labor, Dr. Miller warned that vacancies can represent “revenue left on the table” because Health Services relies heavily on state and federal grants and Medi-Cal dollars.
The Board of Supervisors has attempted to address the issue through a strategic hiring process, requiring departments to prove their budgets can sustain new hires. However, the reality of uncollected taxes and a stagnant revenue stream continues to loom over recruitment efforts.
The Board of Supervisors approved all requests for new hires made in March and April. Supervisor Ted Williams said he would support the hires but added that he “had the sense we may be following in the footsteps of Willits. We have to have a serious talk about living within our means.”
Williams remark was met with silence from the other supervisors.
His comments echoed those made by a union representative to the board in March. Patrick Hickey urged the board to “clearly spell out what the county can afford to do and what it can’t” and to be clear about “what activities and services will be eliminated or put on hold.”
So far, that guidance has not been forthcoming.
Didn't newly elected Bernie Norvell say that he wanted to prioritize spending? Why yes, he did!