HOLLISTER, Calif. — A city manager has been fired and employees have been allowed to return to work after the Hollister Police Department’s officer union claimed that the city intended to lay off all civilian police personnel.
The city of Hollister laid off employees across multiple departments, including at least nine non-sworn personnel within the police department, on Oct. 14, KSBW reported. The city had denied the Hollister Police Officers Association’s claims that it intended to lay off the department’s entire non-sworn staff.
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The issue arose as the city attempted to address an alleged budget deficit of at least $2 million, according to the report. Officers gathered outside the station in a ceremonial send-off for the affected employees.
However, all police department employees were asked to return to work temporarily as of Oct. 19. According to a union statement, they will be allowed to continue department work while the city and employee unions conduct further reviews of department budgets.
“The men and women of the HPOA want to thank the public for their extraordinary support over the past week of ALL your municipal workers,” the union stated. “Without the rallying cry that echoed off every surface of this town, this important and decent work may not have gotten done.”
Also on Oct. 19, the HPOA published a unanimous vote of no confidence against former Hollister City Manager Ana Cortez, alleging failures in necessary communications regarding the layoffs, mistreatment of employees, labor law concerns, financial mismanagement and “reckless disregard for public safety.”
On Oct. 21, the Hollister City Council voted to terminate Cortez “not for cause,” KSBW reported.
The city employee layoffs are scheduled for Nov. 13 and will remain in effect until the city council takes further action.
