To: County of Sonoma Board of Supervisors
Department or Agency Name(s): Department of Health Services
Staff Name and Phone Number: Nolan Sullivan, 707-565-4774
Vote Requirement: Majority
Supervisorial District(s): Countywide
Title:
Title
Department of Health Services Revenue Management Unit Staffing
End
Recommended Action:
Recommended action
Adopt a Personnel Resolution amending the Department Allocation List of the Department of Health Services to add 1.0 Full-Time Equivalent Administrative Services Officer II and delete 1.0 Full-Time Equivalent Department Program Manager and 1.0 Full-Time Equivalent Senior Office Assistant, effective October 13, 2026.
end
Executive Summary:
The Department of Health Services requests approval to add 1.0 Full-Time Equivalent (FTE) Administrative Services Officer II to the Revenue Management Unit, offset by the deletion of 1.0 FTE Department Program Manager in Outreach and Engagement and 1.0 FTE Senior Office Assistant in Human Resources.
The Revenue Management Unit manages critical billing and revenue functions for the Behavioral Health and Public Health Divisions. The unit's manager position, currently classified as an Administrative Service Officer I, has seen significant turnover, six managers in five years, reflecting a mismatch between the position's growing complexity and its current classification. The addition of an Administrative Services Officer II will provide the administrative and analytical capacity needed to stabilize leadership, retain institutional knowledge, and reduce operational risk in this highly regulated function.
The Department Program Manager position has been vacant over a year with no planned use, and the Senior Office Assistant position requires a different classification, making both available for deletion. This is a cost-saving that strengthens the Revenue Management Unit's operational capacity without adding net FTEs.
Discussion:
The Department of Health Services’ Revenue Management Unit (RMU) performs critical billing and revenue management functions associated with claims processing, payment, and revenue generation within the Behavioral Health and Public Health Divisions.
DHS is requesting to add 1.0 FTE Administrative Services Officer II (ASO II) to the RMU, and to delete 1.0 FTE Department Program Manager (DPM) and 1.0 FTE Senior Office Assistant (SOA) position, in order to strategically realign existing resources and better support the unit's operational needs.
The RMU Manager is currently classified as an Administrative Services Officer I (ASO I) while serving as the primary management and administrative resource for a complex and highly regulated billing and revenue operation. The position requires substantial independent judgment, operational oversight, compliance monitoring, problem solving, financial coordination, and cross-functional communication. The current structure places significant responsibility on a single ASO I position without a higher-level administrative resource to provide advanced analytical support, complex problem resolution, compliance analysis, and operational continuity.
The need for additional capacity is further demonstrated by significant turnover in the ASO I position within RMU, with six employees in five years. This level of turnover increases training demands, contributes to the loss of institutional knowledge, and places additional pressure on the RMU Manager to maintain continuity and operational performance. The addition of an ASO II would provide the higher-level administrative, analytical, and operational capacity needed to support complex billing and revenue functions, strengthen compliance and internal controls, and address systemic operational issues.
Adding an ASO II would establish a more sustainable two-level administrative structure, allowing the ASO I to maintain overall unit management while the ASO II provides advanced analytical, compliance, and operational support. This targeted investment would reduce reliance on a single management resource, preserve institutional knowledge, improve operational resilience, and better align the RMU's organizational structure with its increasing scope, complexity, and accountability.
Position Deletions
• 1.0 FTE DPM: Currently located in Outreach and Engagement, this position has been vacant for more than one year, and the department has no plans to utilize it in its current location.
• 1.0 FTE SOA: Currently allocated to Human Resources, this position has been identified as needing a different classification/allocation, making it no longer necessary in its current form.
Deleting these two positions and establishing the ASO II will allow the department to strategically align existing resources with current operational needs while strengthening administrative and analytical support within the RMU.
Strategic Plan:
None
Racial Equity:
Was this item identified as an opportunity to apply the Racial Equity Toolkit?
No
Prior Board Actions:
None
Fiscal Summary
|
Expenditures |
FY 26-27 Adopted |
FY 27-28 Projected |
FY 28-29 Projected |
|
Budgeted Expenses |
$122,106 |
$257,583 |
$265,311 |
|
Additional Appropriation Requested |
|
|
|
|
Total Expenditures |
$122,106 |
$257,583 |
$265,311 |
|
Funding Sources |
|
|
|
|
General Fund/WA GF |
|
|
|
|
State/Federal |
|
|
|
|
Fees/Other |
$122,106 |
$257,583 |
$265,311 |
|
Use of Fund Balance |
|
|
|
|
General Fund Contingencies |
|
|
|
|
Total Sources |
$122,106 |
$257,583 |
$265,311 |
Narrative Explanation of Fiscal Impacts:
The 1.0 FTE Administrative Services Officer II position will cost $122,106 in FY 2026-2027, $257,583 in FY 2027-2028, and $265,311 in FY 2028-2029, including $10,000 in one-time startup costs in FY 2026-2027. Funding for the salary and benefits, and one-time costs associated with the ASO II position will come from various funding sources. These costs will be distributed among the operating Health Services departments through the Administrative Allocation, which allocates administrative costs across the department.
The position costs will be offset by deleting 1.0 FTE Department Program Manager and 1.0 FTE Senior Office Assistant, resulting in estimated net savings of $206,968 in FY 2026-2027, $91,846 in FY 2027-2028, and $94,601 in FY 2028-2029, for total three-year savings of $393,415. The position changes will reduce the Department's use of 1991 Public Health Realignment.
Costs for FY 2027-2028 and FY 2028-2029 will be included in the respective recommended budgets.
|
Staffing Impacts: |
|
|
|
|
Position Title (Payroll Classification) |
Monthly Salary Range (A-I Step) |
Additions (Number) |
Deletions (Number) |
|
Senior Office Assistant (SOA) |
5,188.23-6,306.58 |
|
1.0 FTE |
|
Department Program Manager (DPM) |
9,066.80-11,021.73 |
|
1.0 FTE |
|
Administrative Services Officer II (ASO II) |
10,543.43-12,814.92 |
1.0 FTE |
|
Narrative Explanation of Staffing Impacts (If Required):
The addition of an ASO II will provide needed support to the existing ASO I. This will strengthen management effectiveness, preserve institutional knowledge, reduce operational risk, and create a more sustainable organizational structure to match the position's increasing scope, complexity, and accountability. The Senior Office Assistant and Department Program Manager 1.0 FTEs have been vacant since at least July 1, 2026.
Attachments:
Attachment 1 - Personnel Resolution
Related Items “On File” with the Clerk of the Board:
None