To: Board of Supervisors
From: Ken Carlson, District IV Supervisor
Report Title: APPROVE and AUTHORIZE each Supervisorial District Office to be staffed with up to six (6) support staff at the discretion of each District Supervisor.
☐Recommendation of the County Administrator ☐ Recommendation of Board Committee
RECOMMENDATIONS:
APPROVE and AUTHORIZE each Supervisorial District Office to be staffed with up to six (6) support staff at the discretion of each District Supervisor.
FISCAL IMPACT:
Up to $548,882, including $68,494 in employer share of pension costs. This estimate reflects the fiscal impact of adding three (3) additional, full-time staff at the BOS Specialist II level. This is the staffing complement that would bring each Supervisorial District office to six (6) total staff.
BACKGROUND:
The operational demands on Board of Supervisors’ offices have increased substantially due to changes in technology, public expectations, regulatory requirements and increased work on regional boards and commissions. The scope and complexity of work performed by staff in Board offices has expanded beyond historical staffing models. Currently, two (2) Supervisorial District Offices are authorized to have 6.0 FTE and three (3) are authorized to have 5.0 FTE.
Constituent communication has evolved from primarily in-person, telephone, and written correspondence to continuous engagement across multiple digital platforms, including email, online service requests, and social media. These changes have increased both the volume of constituent contacts and expectations for timely responses, requiring additional staff capacity to manage intake, coordination, and follow-up.
County constituent casework has also grown more complex, involving coordination with multiple County departments, city, state and federal agencies, and external service providers. Many issues now require specialized knowledge of program eligibility, regulatory requirements, and interagency processes, resulting in increased staff time per case.
Policy analysis and legislative coordination responsibilities have expanded as well. Board offices are expected to review and respond to a higher volume of proposals, ordinances, and regulatory actions, many of which involve technical subject matter, timely analysis and briefing to support informed decision-making.
These changes have placed ongoing strain on existing staffing resources. Staffing levels that were previously sufficient do not fully align with current workload demands. Insufficient staffing capacity may result in service delays, increased workload pressure on existing employees, higher turnover risk, and reduced effectiveness in meeting constituent service and policy responsibilities.
To promote equity among offices and ensure that all Board offices are equipped to meet the current increased demands, This Board Order seeks to provide authority for each District Supervisor to staff their respective offices with up to six (6) staff members, at the discretion of each Supervisor. Based on current staffing, this would be an overall FTE increase of up to 3.0 FTE, including one (1) FTE for Districts I, II and IV (which currently are only authorized for up to 5.0 FTE), respectively, at the discretion of each District office.
Should an individual District Office wish to increase staff counts to 6.0 FTE, an Administrative Position Adjustment Resolution (PAR) shall be submitted consistent with Administrative Bulletin No. 400 for recordation purposes only. Ultimately, this action shall provide the underlying authority for the increased staffing levels as previously described.
CONSEQUENCE OF NEGATIVE ACTION:
Failing to approve this recommendation would result in three Board offices working to serve constituents at a lesser staffing level.