The published backlog is concentrated in two large departments
Kern County’s accountability report lists three overdue employee performance reports in Risk Management, 37 in the Fire Department and 55 in Public Works. The three counts total 95.
Public Works accounts for 57.9% of the listed backlog and Fire for 38.9%; Risk Management accounts for 3.2%. Those shares describe overdue reviews, not department headcount or employee performance quality.
| Department | Overdue | Share of 95 |
|---|---|---|
| Public Works | 55 | 57.9% |
| Fire | 37 | 38.9% |
| Risk Management | 3 | 3.2% |
| Total | 95 | 100% |
All three remained open at the report date
The follow-up said the departments had not made their evaluation systems current as of the reporting date. Management changes and staffing shortages were cited, with an estimated compliance date of June 30, 2026.
A missed performance report is an administrative control failure. It is not evidence that the affected employee performed poorly or committed misconduct.
The next audit should publish aging, not just a total
A count cannot show whether a review is one week or multiple years late. A useful closeout would group the 95 by age, show completions after the snapshot and disclose whether supervisors—not line employees—were held accountable for recurring delay.
Without that aging table, residents cannot distinguish a short-term processing backlog from a chronic supervision failure.
Method and limits
The newsroom added the three published department counts and calculated each share of the total. It did not identify employees or infer individual ratings.
The report’s June 2026 target has passed, but the December 2025 document cannot establish whether the backlog was later cleared.
Sources and further reading
Kern County Compliance and Accountability Report, December 31, 2025 ↗