MONTEREY COUNTY — Monterey County Board of Supervisors has approved a hiring freeze for county positions funded by the General Fund discretionary revenue.
The unanimous decision was made during the Board’s meeting last Tuesday, Oct. 15, as the county grapples with significant fiscal challenges.
County Administrative Officer (CAO) Sonia M. De La Rosa highlighted several financial pressures affecting the county, including the prolonged inflated housing market, rising emergency response costs without reliable federal and state reimbursements and increasing labor expenses. Despite adopting a balanced budget for fiscal year 2024-25, these ongoing issues have led to a projected $20 million deficit for fiscal year 2025-26, according to De La Rosa.
The hiring freeze represents the county’s initial response to this shortfall. Under the new policy, offices and departments will be prohibited from filling affected positions unless they request and obtain an exemption from the CAO.
“It is important to note that positions funded by non-General Fund revenue sources will not be impacted, and departments may continue to hire for those roles under the current recruitment and selection policies,” stated the county in a news release.
To facilitate this process, De La Rosa will develop hiring freeze administrative guidelines for exemption, which will be presented to the Board on Nov. 12. These guidelines will include a request to remove vacant positions collaboratively identified by offices and departments, aimed at helping the county rebalance its fiscal year 2024-25 budget.
