Updated Sept. 2, 2026
Background
Since 2025’s charter transition, city administrators have been pushing various forms of “realignment” of city workers and their work. The “core services realignment” project has already impacted and continues to impact staff who work in these areas:
- Communications – realigned January 2026
- Community engagement – ongoing, timeline TBD
- Equity – ongoing, timeline TBD
- Budget and finance – future realignment, timeline TBD
- Human resources (HR) – realigned August 2026
- Procurement – realigned August 2026
- Technology – realigned August 2026
Transitions like One Water or the single-permitting authority and other consolidations, restructuring, or realignment plans are ongoing.
Your union has been tracking these closely and pushing city managers and the administration to work directly with impacted staff and labor partners instead of making decisions behind closed doors.
Take the impact survey
In the FY 2026-27 budget, the city approved major realignments of HR, procurement, and technology including layoffs as well as hundreds of other movements impacting you and your coworkers, including demotions, de-unionization, and shifts in your duties or working conditions with untold impacts to the services you provide.
Have something to share about how realignment or other transitions are going so? Fill out our survey:
Ongoing advocacy
Your union has been actively pushing for transparency, worker involvement, and fair treatment throughout this process. Core realignment primarily impacts members of CPPW, PROTEC17, and AFSCME Local 189 but all these transitions affect everyone.
Throughout the FY 2026-27 budget process, your union alongside others, as well as many of you and your coworkers, advocated intensely for pausing realignments. This included advocacy for all members impacted by layoffs, demotions, and de-unionization and by outlining the many risks and unknowns by rushing a bad process.
Through in-person and written testimony, a march on Mayor Wilson, a labor “summit” with electeds and the administration, direct advocacy to councilors and the administration, impact bargaining, and our grievance procedures, the fight continued for months up and through the final week of the the budget process and through a July 2026 ordinance that saved some positions.
For realignments and transitions still in progress, your union will continue to demand a seat at the table and the participation of our members most impacted.
Timeline
The city continues to post updates and limited information on the Core Services Realignment Project page.
The city has also posted a dashboard to show all the layoffs, elimination of vacant positions, demotions, promotions, and lateral moves by bargaining unit and classification.
Status by area
Some of these may be out of date. Visit the Employees site on Core Services Realignment for the latest information.
Communications
City lead: Laura Oppenheimer, Chief Communications Officer
Learn more: City Communications Office page
Timing: Complete.
Detail: Developed over the course of 2025, included in the Fall 2025 Technical Adjustment Ordinance (TAO) – a mid-year City budget change – this realignment went into effect Jan 2, 2026. Additional lateral moves or moves that switch funding sources of positions were included in the FY 2026-27 budget. In recent communications all-staff meetings, Laura has indicated the next phase will include service level agreements.
Community engagement
City lead (interim): Laura Oppenheimer, Chief Communications Officer
Learn more: Engagement realignment project page
Timing: Some parts of realignment included in FY 2026-27 budget including some layoffs and elimination of vacant positions. Staff have been told a second phase will begin, timing TBD.
Detail: Despite the overlap of communications, equity, and engagement work, this realignment was being developed separately. Staff listening sessions were held Nov. 18 and 20 with at least one in-person follow-up last fall, very little in 2026. With the previous lead put on leave, Laura Oppenheimer has stepped into run this process. Timeline TBD.
Equity
City lead: Latricia Tillman, Chief Equity Officer
Learn more: Equity realignment page
Timing: Some vacant positions cut in the FY 2026-27 budget. Timing of realignment TBD.
Detail: No meaningful outreach to staff that we’re aware of, with CPPW told this realignment was on hold until after the results of a contractor hired in fall 2025 to evaluate the realignment (Ben Duncan, hired as a subcontractor of the NEX Strategies contract) and the hiring of a Chief Equity Officer.
HR, Procurement, and Technology
City leads: Ron Zito (Human Resources); Sylvester Donelson (Procurement); Elyse Rosenberg (Technology)
Learn more: HR, procurement, and technology realignment page
Timing: Alignments pushed through in FY 2026-27 budget.
Detail: These three areas were initially being evaluated together, part of an extensive contract with NEX Strategies that was meeting primarily with upper management over the course of 2025. City leaders held one webinar for staff in mid-December 2025 that provided little concrete information. The assumption is a developed plan would be part of a spring TAO. City leaders did not follow up with a single communication until an email from Tracy Warren to staff late Friday, March 6 to say that some town halls were being planned. Warren’s email did not include links or information to the following week’s Budget Work Session March 11, 2026 where proposed cuts would be aired. City administrators continue to struggle with clear communication and meaningful engagement. Recordings of “town halls” and presentations here.
Budget and finance
City lead: Jonas Biery, Chief Financial Officer
Learn more: No information posted on Employee pages yet
Timing: Unknown, after the FY 26-27 budget cycle.
Details: Originally, this core service area was being evaluated with HR, Procurement, and Technology, by the same contractor and workgroups of upper management. However, for reasons not shared with labor, the city is not moving forward with core realignment in this area until after the current FY 26-27 budget cycle.
Contact CPPW
If you have questions, concerns, ideas, or information about how realignment or city transition is playing out in your bureau or workgroup, take the city transition impact survey linked above or reach out by email to:
- Stacy Brewster (PBOT), At-Large Board Member – board1@cppwunion.org
- Kari Koch (PP&D), President – president@cppwunion.org
Through the survey we can track this and connect you with a steward if needed.
October 2025 letter to City leadership
On October 29, 2025, CPPW’s Executive Board sent a letter to the mayor, City Council, auditor, and the City administrators overseeing each of the seven core service areas (budget/finance, communications, community engagement, equity, HR, procurement, and technology).
The letter lays out critical guidance for how this realignment should be done: with transparency, worker input, and respect for the people doing the work.
The letter was also filed as testimony for the Fall 2025 Technical Adjustment Ordinance (TAO).