Civic Issues
Topics getting the most attention in Tulare County public meetings, ranked by how frequently they are discussed.
37 issues with medium priority
Caldwell 99 interchange groundbreaking
After decades in the making, construction is finally starting on the Caldwell 99 interchange — safer traffic flow and a boost for economic development in that corridor.
Election Guide
It’s Election Day in California, and the Visalia Times-Delta has a guide to what’s on your 2026 ballot and what each measure actually means. If you’re voting in Tulare County, this is your quick cheat sheet before you head to the polls.
City Council Election
Tulare voters are deciding three city council seats, with three candidates in the running. The results matter because the new council could change how the city votes on local issues and budget priorities. If you live in Tulare, this is the local race that shapes day-to-day decisions.
Rural land divisions and small-lot zoning
In honoring Community Planning Month, the county's planning chief highlighted 24 community plans completed since 2012, designed to unlock state and federal funding and manage growth along Highway 99 and 65 corridors.
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.
Williamson Act agricultural preserves
Landowners seeking Williamson Act preserve contracts will wait a bit longer — the hearing was continued to November 17 so staff can finish the packet.
Strathmore flooding at Friant-Kern Canal crossing
Avenue 196 where it meets the Friant-Kern Canal is a known flooding point. Fixing it needs upstream storage, bigger storm pipes through Strathmore, and more storage at Success Lake — now waiting on the Friant Water Authority to partner on a solution.
Streambed permitting breakthrough with Fish and Wildlife
A routine maintenance agreement with state Fish and Wildlife — in the works for over a year and a half — would clear the CEQA permitting hurdle so landowners and agencies can actually clean out channels. Fish and Wildlife is being unusually cooperative, though the Army Corps and State Water Board may still have a say.
Proposition 1 housing bond on the ballot
An $11.25 billion state bond would fund permanent supportive housing, farmworker housing, and veterans' home loans. Advocates say it unlocks roughly 40,000 already-permitted housing units statewide that are just waiting for money.
Tipton Well No. 6A Completion Project
No bids came in for the Tipton well project, so the county awarded the construction contract to Travioli Construction for up to $750,570 using American Rescue Plan Act funds.
Highway Safety Improvement Program Grant Applications
The county is applying for seven grants worth an estimated $12.7 million total to improve road safety. That could mean funded safety projects on county roads.
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.
Sheriff-DEA task force and dispatch agreements
The sheriff's office locked in a five-year DEA task force deal and Lindsay signed on for county emergency dispatching through 2031.
Three Rivers road acceptance
The board vacated unused Canyon Drive and Quail Run Drive rights-of-way in South Fork Estates Unit 2, a subdivision approved in 1985 whose third unit was never built. Owners must consolidate lots and prove legal, physically viable access by December 31, 2029. A property owner described a private fire-access road to the cemetery as an escape route.
Red Ribbon Week drug prevention
The county proclaimed October 23-31 as Red Ribbon Week, with a free family event at Mooney Grove Park on October 24 and prevention programs reaching an estimated 100,000 students.
GSA well registration program
A new groundwater agency is registering wells — both irrigation and domestic. Registering your domestic well helps the agency know where you are and protect you.
Behavioral health services contracts and grant oversight
The Board approved roughly $65 million for children's mental health services, a $400,000 skilled nursing contract, and an $11 million behavioral health facility grant. A public commenter questioned per-client costs, lack of competitive bidding, and the grant consultant declining standard county ethics disclosures.
County road construction and infrastructure awards
The Board awarded contracts for slurry seal countywide, the $5.6 million Farm to Market project near Pixley and Terra Bella, a culvert replacement near Strathmore, and accepted new roads in Goshen — better roads and drainage for rural communities.
2025 Agricultural Crop and Livestock Report
Gross farm value jumped 10% to $9.14 billion, keeping Tulare County in the running as California's top ag county, though rising costs and a 28% drop in table grapes show pressure on growers.
Regional Transit Agency Turnaround
TCRTA has rebranded as 'Ride Tulare County,' hired new operator Via, redesigned routes around Uber-style microtransit, and is adding tap-to-pay fares by February — supervisors credited director Derek Winning with rescuing the once-troubled agency.
Seville Community Park Push
Seville residents and California Rural Legal Assistance asked the county to sponsor a Statewide Park Program grant to build the unincorporated town's first park — the application window closes December 17 and requires five community meetings first.
IHSS Caregiver Wages
Caregivers told the Board a proposed 10-cent raise won't cover rising costs — 80% say they work multiple jobs. They're asking for a livable wage in the next contract.
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.
Woodlake growth and Antelope Creek maintenance responsibility
The district pays Woodlake $27,000 a year to maintain a channel that mostly benefits the city, while collecting only $7,500 in taxes. Commissioners want the growing city to take on responsibility as it annexes county land.
Kaweah Delta maintenance agreement and flood control ordinance update
A subdivision setback dispute revealed the county has no agreement with Kaweah Delta on maintaining shared easements. A new agreement and a modernized flood control ordinance are being drafted and will come back to the commission.
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.
Probation department performance and recruitment
Chief Kelly Vernon reported the department's lowest vacancy rate since 2023 (21.1%), 34 new hires, joint operations that seized 50+ illegal guns, and school-based prevention programs in eight districts.
Strathmore substandard housing and code enforcement complaint
Michael Muehlemann alleged county code enforcement falsified compliance documents on a substandard Strathmore building, endangering his disabled household and delaying emergency response.
Active Transportation Program grants for Cutler-Orosi, Earlimart, and Strathmore
The county will apply for state grants worth about $49.4 million in projects to make walking and biking safer in three rural communities.
LGBTQ proclamation walkout controversy
Two residents blasted Supervisors Townsend and Vander Poel for walking out during a Pride proclamation presentation, saying county rules say proclamations aren't endorsements. The supervisors have defended their walkout publicly.
School resource officer services for Cutler-Orosi schools
The Sheriff's Office will keep providing officers on Cutler-Orosi school campuses next school year under a $350,489 agreement.
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.
Fresno County homeless services model
Fresno County recently stood up a dedicated Office of Housing and Homelessness to centralize its homeless response, from Continuum of Care duties to encampment resolutions. The pitch to Tulare: a single office with clear board direction and outcome tracking can coordinate funding and services better than scattered departments.
Yettem and Seville water system improvements phase 2
The county hired Provost & Pritchard for up to $1.046 million to manage bidding and construction of Phase 2 water system upgrades for the Yettem and Seville communities.
Friant-Kern Canal capacity correction funding
Friant Water Authority got $200 million in non-reimbursable federal money to rebuild pumping plants and extend the canal project north to the Tule River. Construction will interact with county bridges, rights-of-way, and Highway 190, so close coordination is needed.
Golden mussel invasion risk
Golden mussels have infested water systems in Kern, Contra Costa, and San Joaquin counties, and a district just south of the county line already has them in its intakes. Tulare County reservoirs and the Friant-Kern Canal are vulnerable; Kern County has declared an emergency but Tulare hasn't yet.