Civic Issues
Topics getting the most attention in Tulare County public meetings, ranked by how frequently they are discussed.
11 issues in taxes budget with medium priority
Forcum-Mackey construction contract increases
Two big county building projects cost more than planned: the Goshen Fire Station grew by about $536,000 and the Assessor relocation by about $40,000 due to unforeseen conditions.
State legislative developments affecting the county
Three state water bills remain alive this session — AB 2180, SB 1125, and SB 1417 — while several others died or were suspended. The subcommittee took no position on any of them.
FEMA Disaster Recovery Response
Supervisor Micari reported the county's pointed letter to FEMA finally got a response after a year and a half of silence on disaster recovery questions.
IHSS Caregiver Wages
IHSS caregivers, roughly 9,000 strong in the county, urged supervisors to support a raise, citing rising cost of living. The Board cannot act on non-agenda public comment.
Employee health plan premium increases
The county renewed employee health plans with notable increases — Anthem PPO plans up 15.3%, Kaiser up roughly 9.75%, and Delta Dental PPO up 14.13% — affecting county workers' benefit costs.
2027 Assessment Appeals Calendar
The board set the hearing schedule for property assessment appeals next year, with minor changes. These are the dates residents and businesses can contest their property valuations.
RMA permitting technology and customer-service upgrades
The county is rolling out tech to make dealing with the permit center less painful: a lobby wait-time kiosk starting September 21, a searchable internal Q&A database, an upgraded interactive zoning map, and a mobile app ('Tulare County Connects') for reporting potholes and code issues with photos.
2026-27 Assessment Roll Grows 4% to $55 Billion
Tulare County's property tax roll is up about $2 billion to $55.08 billion, with residential values leading growth at nearly 7%. At roughly 1% under Prop 13, that's about $550 million in countywide tax revenue — and it affects what every property owner's assessment looks like.
Fiscal Year 2027 audit plan selections
The county's internal audit office is fully staffed again and will spend about 3,330 hours on audits this year. The committee picked the District Attorney's payroll and Solid Waste cash receipts for in-depth audits based on the annual risk assessment. Cash handling at solid waste sites has had shortages and overages, which drove that pick.
State budget cuts to health and human services
Legislators and the Governor are negotiating a budget that could delay anticipated cuts to CalFresh and Medi-Cal by at least a year. County staff also flagged HR 1 Medi-Cal changes coming January 2027, though Tulare County expects relatively few coverage losses.
Statutory filing deadlines leave no room for hardship appeals
A business owner hit by a yearlong road closure and Southern California fires asked the board to accept her late appeals for 2022-2024. Board members explained that state law strictly limits filing deadlines and disaster-relief windows, leaving the board no discretion — a frustration for taxpayers who miss the window.