SEIU 521 STATEMENT on kern county grand jury report published on november 21, 2025
Kern County, Calif: SEIU Local 521, the union representing Kern County workers in Public Health released the following statement in response to the November 21, 2025 Grand Jury Report: Public Health - Budget Cuts vs Safety Nets.
“This grand jury report underscores exactly what the union and county public health workers who were laid off repeatedly warned the Board of Supervisors," said George Martinez, Laid-off Public Health Worker and SEIU Local 521 member. “Workers and community members have long demanded action to fix Kern, yet county leaders have turned a blind eye at the expense of community health. Their failure to protect essential jobs and public health services is unacceptable and puts our residents at risk.”
The 2025-2026 Kern County Grand Jury recommends:
Effective May 1, 2026, the Board of Supervisors (BOS) should restore the DPH budget to 2024-2025 level adjusted for inflation. This will ensure proper restoration of services for the residents of Kern County. (Findings F1, F2)
By May 1, 2026, the BOS should provide additional funding for testing and treatment of STDs, Diabetes, and Valley Fever. (Finding F5)
By December 1, 2025, the DPH and Kern Medical should implement Public Service Announcements (PSAs) through local media platforms to inform the public of other clinic locations available to receive treatment. (Finding F6, F7)
By February 1, 2027, the DPH should restore clinic services to Shafter. (Finding F7)
By February 1, 2027, the DPH should restore services through their mobile unit. (Finding F7)
By December 1, 2025, the Grand Jury recommends the DPH and BOS work together to re-establish the grant writer position to acquire funding through available grants. (Finding F4)
By June 30, 2026, the BOS should investigate merging the DPH clinical services into Kern Medical. (Finding F8)
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Service Employees International Union, Local 521 represents 72,000 public- and nonprofit, private-sector workers in California’s Bay Area, the Central Coast, and in the Central Valley. Under a Community First vision, we are committed to making sure the needs of our community, and the vital services we provide our community, come first. We believe our communities thrive when residents, leaders and workers recognize that we are all in this together when it comes to our safety, health, and well-being.