Civic Issues
Topics getting the most attention in Tulare County public meetings, ranked by how frequently they are discussed.
42 issues with high priority
Local Election Results
Tulare County is posting live election results for county supervisor seats, city council races, and ballot measures. If you vote there, these races decide who writes and enforces local rules for the next few years, so it is worth checking who is winning.
Deed fraud protections — ordinance and recorder notification program
Scammers can forge deeds and steal your home title without you knowing. Under SB 255, the county will now mail property owners a notice within 30 days whenever a deed, mortgage, or deed of trust is recorded on their property — and the new ordinance requires parcel numbers on the first page so the system works reliably.
Matheny tract water and sewer consolidation
East Orosi's tap water is contaminated with nitrates, so residents rely on bottled water while the county runs the system as administrator. The $13 million project to connect East Orosi to the Orosi PUD finally broke ground after 20+ years.
Election Results
Tulare County's key races are being called, and the results will shape who runs local government for the next term. If you care about budgets, services, or local policy, this is the scoreboard to watch.
Monson ag hauling facility dispute (PSP 26023)
Neighbors say the Nagra site is really a commercial truck terminal, not an ag service business, and worry about heavy truck traffic at a congested rail crossing on Avenue 384. The commission punted, ordering staff to verify the ag claims (including receipts) before deciding. Expect this one back.
Rural land divisions and small-lot zoning
Splitting a 7.41-acre grapefruit ranch into four home sites raises the classic rural question: property rights and financial security for farmers versus neighbors who moved out there for peace, quiet and big lots. Narrow roads, drainage and water supply all came up.
ICE access and Truth Act transparency
The county adopted state-required policies limiting how county agencies interact with immigration authorities, with departments implementing them by January 1, 2027. A public commenter argued county edits removed a mandatory vendor data-protection provision and could fall short of the legal standard.
Countywide zoning code overhaul (Ordinances 3672/3673)
The county is rewriting its agricultural and residential zoning rules to remove outdated language and add clear zoning tables. Changes include a simpler poultry limit (50 birds per half acre), taller fence allowances (up to 8 feet), an animal-unit conversion chart for small ag parcels, removal of the mobile-home overlay section, and expanded noticing for event permits.
Deer Creek flooding threat to Alpahtchi and Allensworth
Nearly 2,000 people live in Alpahtchi and Allensworth, two rural towns that nearly flooded in 2023 — including a deliberately cut levee. An advocate is asking commissioners to meet with the Deer Creek district manager about emergency floodway options before this winter's storms.
Proposition 1 housing bond on the ballot
Members discussed the National Low Income Housing Coalition gap analysis showing only about 25 affordable units per 100 extremely low-income renter households, and a Self-Help Enterprises plug for Proposition 1 on the November ballot to fund more affordable housing.
Aging flood pumps and capital improvement program
Most of the county's flood pumps are over 40 years old, and a five-year replacement plan from years ago never got done. Roughly 30 grant applications are pending with the state to standardize and replace them — and pumps keep breaking in the meantime.
HAP Round 7 homelessness funding allocation
The state's next homelessness funding round will be simpler — rolled into Round 6 disbursements instead of a new application — but restricted to operating existing interim housing sites. Tulare County's tentative allocation is about $55,000 higher than Round 6.
Leadership of County Behavioral Health Services
Tulare's brand-new shelter holds an open house June 5 with residents moving in by early summer. The county's behavioral health urgent care center has its roof and walls and should open by year's end, with the larger Casa Grande campus targeting 2027.
Goshen development and infrastructure
The county awarded a $1.9 million contract to rebuild Road 67 in Goshen, approved a countywide guardrail safety project, added a stop sign near Exeter, and adopted its official road mileage of 2,960.99 miles — while supervisors noted rural counties get far less per mile for road maintenance than urban ones.
County cybersecurity posture
IT staff reported local governments are now the most-targeted hacking victims, with public sector break-ins rising from 36% to 61% of breaches. The county blocks tens of thousands of phishing emails monthly and joined a no-cost state monitoring partnership worth roughly $300,000 a year commercially.
Data center moratorium and future zoning rules
The county hit pause on new data centers for 45 days while staff writes permanent zoning rules — a process expected to take close to a year. Concerns include water use, electricity demand, noise, air quality, and protecting farmland; many speakers urged a permanent ban instead.
SGMA implementation and Tule subbasin probation
Well registration in the Greater Kaweah area is about halfway done (roughly 2,000 of 4,000), Tulare subbasin GSAs are reorganizing, and agencies are exploring pumping retirement and water purchase tools.
Behavioral health services contracts and grant oversight
The large no-bid contract for children's mental health services was pulled from the calendar after a resident questioned its retroactive award, lack of competitive bidding, and the provider's audit findings. It will come back for separate consideration.
Mineral King Road & Wishon Drive Permanent Restoration Bid Dispute
The board split over whether to waive a paperwork error by low bidder Rehak Construction, whose bid was $115,000 below the next bidder. After one failed vote, the contract went to Rehak for $317,001.62, with repairs to be reimbursed at 88% by the federal emergency relief program.
IHSS Caregiver Wages
SEIU 2015 home care providers told the board they earn $17.50 an hour while the county's living wage is over $24, and that the county's bargaining offer was a nickel, later a dime. They urged the board to invest in caregivers who keep seniors and people with disabilities out of institutions.
2026 Point-in-Time Count Results
Tulare County counted 1,023 people experiencing homelessness in January 2026, down 13% from the year before — the second straight annual decline. Street homelessness dropped from 890 to 677, likely reflecting new low-barrier shelters, but smaller towns like Dinuba and Exeter saw increases.
Road Conditions in Pixley, Matheny Tract and Tuleville
Residents described pothole-ridden, unpainted roads in Pixley where a man fell and was injured, poor pavement in Matheny Tract, and speeding and gravel hazards near Tuleville's school bus stop — asking for Measure R dollars to be directed to their communities.
HHSA Director Appointment and Leadership Transition
Natalie S. Bolin takes over the agency that runs public health, behavioral health, child welfare, and animal services. She flagged coming challenges from federal HR 1 changes and budget uncertainty, saying the agency is already preparing. If you rely on county services, this is the person steering them.
Suicide Prevention Initiative Moves to Public Health
The county is restructuring its suicide prevention work: Public Health now convenes prevention efforts under new state BHSA mandates, while Behavioral Health keeps the loss team and postvention services. A new community health coalition kicks off this winter. Local data shows a sharp spike in 2023 at 13.9 deaths per 100,000.
Blocked HUD grant round threatens housed residents
A HUD homeless housing grant round was stopped by a federal judge, and several local transitional housing programs could end in March or April — potentially leaving about 22 long-term housed people without housing. Members want to keep advocacy on the agenda.
Tulare CARES emergency shelter opening
The 20,000-square-foot Tulare CARES shelter opens August 24, moving people out of the railroad-track encampment into a phased program with case management, on-site classes, and family and domestic violence accommodations. Twelve former encampment residents were hired on staff.
Porterville ag-repair permit and alleged junkyard conditions
The denied Porterville service establishment illustrates how code enforcement drives land-use decisions: a follow-up inspection showed cleanup progress but mostly non-agricultural vehicles, and neighbors described sewage dumping and fluid runoff.
California Hot Springs Resort revival
The historic resort's temporary campground and yurts were approved, and the county's economic development office tied the project to a budding South Valley tourism loop, new farmer's markets, and small-business opportunities from Porterville to Springville.
Flood Control District budget squeeze from liability insurance
The district takes in about $1 million a year in property tax but will pay roughly $790,000 a year in self-insured liability costs through 2031 after past flood-related claims. That leaves about five years of essentially no net revenue, with projects funded from one-time reserves.
Remote meeting attendance to fix quorum problems
The subcommittee discussed adopting a resolution to stream Water Commission meetings online, similar to the flood control commission, though elected members would still be required to attend in person.
Declining state water infrastructure funding
State drinking water and sewer funds are shrinking, with a nearly $1 billion gap projected over three years. Local communities like Tipton, Tooleville, Plainview, Allensworth and Woodville still have wells out of compliance or failing.
Drought conditions and drinking water assistance
About 1,500 households still receive bottled water — 116 tied to drought, the rest to contamination. Tanks-and-hauled-water serves 131 households, and GSAs have only recently begun replacing dry wells.
Behavioral Health Housing Program
A new Room and Board Operators Program will spend up to $1.35 million in its first year to place behavioral health clients in housing through 2030.
Wildfire County Coordinator Program
The county's wildfire coordinator connects state priorities to local action — Firewise communities, the Community Wildfire Protection Plan, and GIS tools. Statewide, coordinators have helped secure over $104 million for mitigation. An extension with expanded funding comes back to the board in July.
Measure R renewal on the horizon
Supervisors Micari and Vander Poel warned the 30-year Measure R half-cent sales tax — which has delivered billions for county roads — is past halfway and will need voter renewal, in a tough tax climate.
Failed special districts in Plainview and Poplar
Supervisor Micari says the private Plainview water company has collapsed — broken pumps, no board — and the elected Poplar CSD is feuding with a nonprofit after a grand jury inquiry. The county says it has no legal authority over either but is trying to help anyway.
Shrinking funding and rising recidivism
People placed into housing through earlier ERF rounds are timing out and falling back into homelessness — recidivism is over 30 percent in Continuum of Care programs. With federal HUD dollars shifting away from permanent housing and Emergency Housing Vouchers ending in December, members urged helping tenants boost income and coordinating scarce vouchers across agencies.
ERF Round 5 grant competition
The state's fifth Encampment Resolution Funding round has only $93 million — a third of prior rounds — and half of it must target encampments on state highway right-of-way. County mapping found zero unsheltered residents on the right-of-way in unincorporated areas, so the county likely won't apply alone and will instead support Visalia and Tulare city applications.
Sheriff armored vehicle purchases after Deputy Hoppe incident
The Sheriff's Office bought two armored vehicles — a Lenco rescue vehicle up to $500,000 and a Ring Power vehicle up to $645,000 — as sole-source purchases. Undersheriff Tom Sigley said borrowed Bearcats and a Rook saved lives during the April shooting that killed Deputy Hoppe, and the county will now stage armored resources north and south.
Wildfire season and power shutoff warnings from SCE
Southern California Edison's representative warned the board to expect more public safety power shutoffs this fire season due to heat, humidity and wind, and noted Edison remains the insurer of last resort until the state changes the system.
Nurse practitioner classifications to fight provider shortage
The county is creating new nurse practitioner job levels under AB 890 so experienced NPs can practice with less physician supervision — a response to Tulare County's ratio of roughly 2,000 patients per provider versus 1,200 statewide. Nine positions will be reclassified, with salary steps about 10% apart.
East Orosi sewer system administration
The county took over the East Orosi sewer system in June 2025 and faced a $75,000 lift station emergency a month later. The long-term fix is years away, so the county is using ARPA money to pump holding tanks and fence the lift station against vandalism.