City reports 52 vacancies as council, residents press for more hiring detail amid budget cuts

Southgateity Manager John Houston
nd human resources staff told the council on April 28 that the city had 349 budgeted full‑time positions as of a Feb. 28 snapshot and 52 vacancies, a 14.9% vacancy rate that is highest among sworn police officers. The report, required by a 2025 state law, was presented as part of the cityudget preparation process.

The presentation explained that many vacancies are deliberate, the product of a workforce reduction strategy the city used to avoid layoffs as it addresses a $9.4 million structural deficit. "On that date we had 52 vacancies across the city," the presenter said, describing freezes and recruitment status across administrative services, community development, parks and recreation, public works and police.

Residents at the meeting questioned why 45 hires were reported for the last fiscal year even as the city describes a hiring freeze. One commenter said the vacancy list lacked essential context: hire dates, job titles, costs and whether positions were newly created, and urged the council to disclose the raw data used to justify the fiscal picture. Another resident asked whether the city had a policy for selecting which positions to freeze.

Council members and staff described trade-offs: frozen positions reduce the number of layoffs should program eliminations be required, but they can also increase overtime and slow service delivery. Public safety managers said minimum staffing levels have to be maintained for health and safety, which leads to overtime when vacancies remain. A public works official warned the public to expect slower turnaround on non‑emergency public works requests, reduced graffiti removal and fewer special events as cuts take effect.

After public comment and discussion, the council voted to "receive and file" the vacancies report, the procedural step required by the statute. Several council members said they would ask staff to return with more granular information and to consider periodic updates so both council and residents can monitor hiring, overtime costs and the service impacts tied to the vacancies.

The next procedural step is the annual budget adoption, which staff said must incorporate the vacancy and recruitment strategy. Councilmembers noted that the vacancy report is a snapshot and that some frozen positions have since been filled, while others were actively being recruited.

What happens next: city staff will continue recruitment for core functions the council has authorized, and some councilmembers asked staff to prepare a clearer breakdown of hires, job titles, hire dates and the fiscal impact of vacancies and overtime for future meetings.