DATE: July 12, 2022
TO: Board of Supervisors
SUBMITTED BY: Hollis Magill, Director of Human Resources
SUBJECT: Salary Resolution Amendment
RECOMMENDED ACTION(S):
TITLE
1. Approve amendment to the Salary Resolution consolidating the Paralegal I/II/III into one Paralegal classification, adjusting the salary range of the consolidated Paralegal classification, and establishing a new Senior Paralegal classification, effective July 25, 2022, as reflected in Appendix “E”; and
2. Approve amendment to the Salary Resolution allocating one (1) Senior Paralegal within the Public Defender’s Office, one (1) Senior Paralegal within the County Counsel’s Office, and two (2) Senior Paralegals within the District Attorney’s Office and placing the newly consolidated Paralegal classification in full combination with Legal Assistant I/II/III for the District Attorney’s Office in Org 2860, effective July 25, 2022, as reflected in Appendix “E”.
REPORT
The FY 2022-23 increase in Net County Cost (NCC) for the recommended actions is estimated at $217,721. Approval of the recommended actions would consolidate the Paralegal I/II/III classifications into a single Paralegal classification, increase the salary for the newly consolidated Paralegal classification, establish a new Senior Paralegal classification, and adjust the allocations in affected departments to make the Paralegal series more comparable with the local market and address recruitment and retention issues. There is no net addition of positions. This item impacts the District Attorney’s Office, Public Defender’s Office, County Counsel’s Office, and Department of Child Support Services.
ALTERNATIVE ACTION(S):
If your Board were not to approve the recommended actions, the Paralegal classification series structure and associated salary would remain unchanged and would not be competitive with the local market contributing to continued recruitment and retention issues.
FISCAL IMPACT:
The cost of the first recommended action in FY 2022-23 is estimated at $314,566 ($187,073 NCC). The cost of the recommended action in FY 2023-24 is estimated at $22,140 ($13,166 NCC). Sufficient appropriations to cover the cost will be included in budget requests beginning FY 2023-24.
The cost of the second recommended action in FY 2022-23 is estimated at $30,878 ($30,648 NCC). The cost of the recommended action in FY 2023-24 is estimated at $2,173 ($2,157 NCC). Sufficient appropriations to cover the cost will be included in budget requests beginning FY 2023-24.
DISCUSSION:
The Department of Human Resources recently completed a class study of the Paralegal classification series in which the salary and series structure were evaluated.
The first recommended action consolidates the Paralegal I/II/III series into a single Paralegal classification and increases the salary of the newly consolidated Paralegal classification. A comparative salary survey was conducted in which similar positions from other County agencies within the comparable area were evaluated. This survey showed that the Paralegal series is no longer competitive with comparable Counties in both structure and salary. Additionally, an evaluation of recent attrition and recruitments showed that the Paralegal classification series has suffered from significant turnover and recruitment issues due to being so far behind the market in salary. This recommended action effectively deletes the Paralegal I and Paralegal II classifications and makes the Paralegal III level the new entry level. The salary for the consolidated classification would be placed at the Paralegal III level while maintaining the minimum qualifications of the Paralegal I level. This recommended action also increases the salary of the newly consolidated classification by ten percent (10%) to bring the new classification salary into a competitive range with the local market.
The first recommended action also establishes the new classification of Senior Paralegal. A review of the Public Defender’s Office and District Attorney’s Office supported the need to add a Senior lead level position within the Paralegal series to better coordinate the day-to-day work of Paralegals within these departments that have large Paralegal Units. The new Senior Paralegal classification will be a must lead classification with restricted allocations that will act in a lead capacity to assign, review, and coordinate the work of lower-level staff.
The second recommended action allocates one (1) Senior Paralegal allocation in the Public Defender’s Office, one (1) Senior Paralegal allocation in the County Counsel’s Office, and two (2) Senior Paralegal allocations in the District Attorney’s Office. The second recommended action also places the new consolidated Paralegal classification in full combination with Legal Assistant I/II/III within the District Attorney’s Office in order to better address the evolving needs of this department in response to recently changed California legislation and procedures applicable to the Prosecutors these classifications assist.
REFERENCE MATERIAL:
BAI #38, February 22, 2022
ATTACHMENTS INCLUDED AND/OR ON FILE:
Salary Resolution Amendment - Appendix “E”
CAO ANALYST:
Yussel Zalapa