July 24 Update from CAO

/

Message from Helen Robbins-Meyer, Chief Administrative Officer

We released a recommended budget this week, and we’re heading into a new fiscal year amid a lot of uncertainty. The impacts of fighting COVID-19 are tremendous, and with the pandemic still unfolding, we won’t know the full physical or economic health effects for a while.

It’s events like these that have always been in the back of our minds as we stressed fiscal discipline year in and year out. We do have reserves that will help us in the short term. We’re dipping into those reserves to help continue critical programs and services hit hard by the economic downturn. We’re also using them to maintain jobs and avoid furloughs like other jurisdictions and the state have implemented. And we have not turned to labor management to renegotiate labor contracts. 

While we’re not cutting staff, we will need to leave many positions open as current employees retire or otherwise depart County service. I understand that means added demands on our workforce, and I appreciate everyone stepping up at a time our residents are really looking to us for help and leadership.

We were able to have previously negotiated wage increases and one-time payments take effect as scheduled recently. Those were reflected on paychecks this month. Everyone has shown great flexibility through this difficult time, and I’m glad to be delivering on these well-deserved, promised adjustments.

Although the future is filled with challenges, I’m reassured by my experience of seeing everyone at the County pull together to successfully navigate past uncertainties. I’ve said it before and it’s worth repeating, we have the most talented and committed workforce in the nation. Thank you for your dedication and work in service of all San Diegans. Stay safe, stay strong.

Trek Across County Trails

/

How would you like to visit the many beautiful County parks without hopping on a bus or gassing up the car? Well, now you can (sort of) by participating in the Employee Wellness activity Trek Across County Trails. With this six week virtual trip, you’ll travel from park to park and take in all our County parks have to offer.

Register now for this Employee Wellness challenge.

Update for July 10 - Listening and Learning

/

Message from Helen Robbins-Meyer, Chief Administrative Officer

After calls for racial justice moved into the national and local spotlight, our employee resource groups took the initiative and hosted a listening session this week on equity and identity. The response to this event was tremendous. I truly want to thank the organizers for putting it together and the hundreds of employees who participated. (If you weren’t able to join, you can read this summary.)

In particular, thank you to all those who had the courage to speak. For these kinds of forums to have impact, they’re going to be uncomfortable for most involved. It’s hard for those who share painful experiences, especially in front of a crowd. And it’s hard to hear how our organization has failed some of our colleagues, and to realize how our individual actions – or inactions – play a part in that.

This week’s discussion was direct and frank, and I welcome that. It’s only by clearly confronting our shortcomings that we can identify how to do better. We plan to hold similar sessions in the future, and for many of us, I do want these to truly be listening sessions. Take in what you hear from your co-workers. Value their perspective. Learn from it, grow from it.

I encourage everyone to bring an open heart and mind to not just this event, but what will be an ongoing process. Rooting out systemic racism and bias is difficult but essential work. Without ensuring social justice, we fall short of the ideals we hold for the County and the commitments we make to all our residents. As the late great poet Maya Angelou once said, “Do the best you can until you know better. Then when you know better, do better.”