City staffing levels rise, but access to services is still erratic

The city’s staffing woes have negatively impacted a number of services — including those that generate revenue for the city, City Council Member Lincoln Restler and others said at a recent Council hearing.

Using data from the preliminary mayor’s management report, released in January, Restler and advocates including the Legal Aid Society and labor unions highlighted areas that have been harmed by widespread staffing shortages. For example, understaffing has affected the Department of Health’s ability to conduct tuberculosis control activities, and contributed to an 11 percent decrease in the number of restaurant inspections being performed during the first four months of Fiscal Year 2024 compared to the same period the previous year.