Civic Issues
Topics getting the most attention in Tuolumne County public meetings, ranked by how frequently they are discussed.
45 issues with high priority
2026 Primary Election Results
It's election day and turnout was already over 45% by mid-morning, with all ten drop boxes and five vote centers open until 8 p.m. A publisher also challenged the county's 100-foot electioneering boundary measurement.
Waste Management collection changes on private roads
A Sonora resident said Waste Management stopped driveway pickup on her private road, forcing residents to haul cans over a mile to Highway 108 for the same price, and asked the county to revisit the franchise.
Navigation Center homeless services at two-year mark
The Navigation Center has served 172 people since opening in 2024, with 63% exiting to stable housing versus a 25% state average. But a speaker described being discharged back to living in her truck, arguing write-up rules push vulnerable people onto the street.
FY 2026-27 road repair and rehabilitation project list
Supervisors want to put roughly $3 million of the budget contingencies toward paving interior neighborhood roads, split among the five districts, with possible sheriff work crews for brushing. Final numbers come back September 22.
Continued local health emergencies from Dove Fire and TCU Lightning Complex debris
The Board continued both the local state of emergency and the local health emergency tied to the TCU September Lightning Complex Fire, keeping hazardous debris cleanup authority and state assistance in place.
Deputy Sheriffs' Association 2026-2028 labor agreement
Union and county employees spoke about stalled negotiations, healthcare costs jumping from $65 to $851 a month for one worker, flex days, and a feared county imposition — before a closed-session bargaining session.
PG&E 10-Year Electrical Undergrounding Plan support letter
The board wants more undergrounding in Tuolumne County but split over a PG&E-drafted letter asking the CPUC to approve its 10-year plan. Critics worry ratepayers will pay for the most expensive option while PG&E profits; the final letter adds a push for cheaper alternatives.
Data center rules for Tuolumne County
Supervisor Campbell wanted a 45-day emergency moratorium on data centers; the board instead voted 5-0 to have staff draft actual rules covering water, power, siting, and fees for these huge facilities.
Sheriff's Office technology upgrade and AI surveillance concerns
A resident presented research urging the Sheriff to reject Axon license plate readers, camera-network software, drones and AI report-writing tools, citing privacy and accuracy concerns. The Sheriff had challenged the public to weigh in.
PG&E PSPS event and future shutoff policy
PG&E outlined last week's shutoff that hit 7,255 customers; supervisors Kirk and Brandon pressed for answers on why power was cut on a calm day and want a follow-up agenda item on claims and pre-staging.
Transition from leased to county-owned facilities
The county pays roughly $250,000-$270,000 a year in rent and budgeted $1.5 million to move departments into county buildings, including the historic courthouse with a leaking roof. Supervisors pushed for faster action after a similar plan failed by one vote years ago.
East Sonora commercial rezoning (T-Five Ranches)
Leftover bypass parcels near Mono Way and Standard Road were rezoned to General Commercial, opening the door to commercial development in East Sonora.
County Employee Compensation and Vacancies
Dozens of county employees and union representatives said workers have gone five years without a cost-of-living raise, face an 11% health insurance increase, and may lose 96 personal flex days given in lieu of raises. Supervisors Brandon and Campbell voiced support for a fair contract and asked for a revenue-generation plan.
Wildfire preparedness grants
The county is becoming a statewide model for making fire country insurable, with talks of a steady 5-to-15-year fuel treatment funding cycle instead of grant-by-grant work, and a possible October convening.
Civil Grand Jury responses
Former 2025-26 grand jurors told the Board its September 1 responses to their reports were aggressive and dismissive, citing 24 deficiencies including missed legal requirements under Penal Code 933.05. Supervisor Brandon pushed back, saying the reports omitted facts he had provided.
Juvenile facility mental health MOU
The 2026 Healthy Kids Survey shows vaping, drinking, and suicidal ideation dropping significantly since 2021, though Tuolumne County remains above state averages, especially in fifth-grade sadness and bullying.
Telepsychiatry services for county behavioral health
A contract with Kings View Behavioral Health would bring remote psychiatric care to county behavioral health clients, costing up to $460,000 a year. It expands access to mental health care in a rural county where recruiting psychiatrists is hard.
Station 56 fire station closure dispute
During the elder abuse proclamation, a resident accused the Board of elder abuse for closing Fire Station 56 and mishandling the CDBG grant for the Columbia Fire Station at the Prayer House, a project meant to keep seniors safe. She noted roughly 20% of county residents are elders and asked the Board not to compromise their safety net.
Fiscal Year 2026-2027 County Budget adoption
Staff showed the county's CalPERS unfunded liability payment has grown from $4.2 million to $14 million a year since 2018, with about $93 million spent. The Board is weighing how to spend $3.98 million in contingencies — roads, debt paydown, parks — before adopting the budget September 22.
USDA Forest Service Good Neighbor Agreement — $4.14 million
The county nearly put its $1.6M-a-year forest program management contract out to bid, prompting warnings that the YSS collaborative would withdraw support and millions in grant funding would be at risk. The board extended the contract 4-1 with a new 10% cost cap.
Brandon campaign contribution disclosure (Levine Act)
Supervisor Brandon acknowledged he didn't disclose a $2,200 donation from a Yosemite Rivers Alliance employee before voting to extend that group's no-bid county contract. He says counsel told him it wasn't disqualifying; the Chair said the Board may need to revisit the vote.
Road funding boost and district allocations
The county's gas-tax funded road plan for next year totals about $6.3 million, including roughly $2 million saved up for paving major collectors like Parrott's Ferry, Rawhide, and Phoenix Lake Road. Supervisors noted Tuolumne gets far less back from the gas tax than it generates. The public will get input later on which roads get the big paving money.
Continuation of Camp Justice homeless encampment
A public commenter alleged the county's encampment resolution fund contract was violated — that funds meant for safe parking with a specific partner were spent elsewhere and that Camp Justice rules broke the agreement's low-barrier requirements, risking a state demand for a refund. A former Camp Justice resident also described being barred from returning and losing possessions.
Behavioral health crisis and addiction treatment contracts
The county's Behavioral Health department was scheduled to sign a services agreement with Windsor Sacramento, LLC worth up to $175,000 a year to house and treat adults with mental health needs.
Transient Occupancy Tax distribution for FY 2026-27
The Board was scheduled to give direction on how the county's next budget gets prepared and what it prioritizes — decisions that shape funding for services residents rely on. Because no record of the meeting was provided, what direction, if any, the Board gave is unknown.
Red Tail Ridge parcel map appeal
Neighbors near Sonora fought the 19-parcel subdivision, citing lost 2014 environmental conditions, no fire hydrants, private road wear, and evacuation worries. The board upheld the map anyway, 5-0.
Food bank funding cliff
The $500,000 state CDBG grant that funded food bank distribution is wrapping up after serving 5,401 mostly low-income residents. ATCAA food bank director Miko Daniels told the Board demand has grown by at least 1,000 more people since the grant period, and healthy food is getting harder to source in bulk.
Continuing wildfire emergency declarations
The Board was scheduled to continue both the local state of emergency and the local health emergency tied to the TCU September Lightning Complex Fire, keeping recovery powers and resources active.
Chinese Camp fire rebuild fee waivers
A resident is pushing for a reliable water system in Chinese Camp, a fire-hit community with shallow wells, floating a roughly $12 million pipeline from TUD or a 150,000-gallon tank at the school. He asked supervisors to consider a committee to pursue grant funding for a shovel-ready project.
Groveland hotel easement vacation
A glamping resort got its old paper roads vacated, but the neighboring Cedar Summit RV park owner says Way Station Drive was her only viable access and she bought the parcel relying on county surveyor emails. Supervisors sided with the hotel developer anyway.
Ponderosa Mobile Home Park bond financing
Up to $4 million in tax-exempt bonds through the California Municipal Finance Authority would help Augusta Communities II, LLC acquire and improve the Ponderosa Mobile Home Park. Affordable mobile home park financing can help keep housing costs stable for residents.
Tourism Marketing District removal
The Board removed the requirement that the lodging industry create a Tourism Marketing District to help fund tourism promotion. Supervisors Campbell and Kirk argued hotels should contribute more; the lodging industry countered it already spends millions of its own money on marketing.
Sheriff's office MOU incentives and reorganization
Two labor amendments let sheriff's office staff earn more by taking on consolidated duties from OES, animal control and records — a retention tool the Sheriff says will eliminate seven positions without cutting patrol deputies.
Caltrans four-way stop at Highway 49 and Shaw's Flat
Supervisors Griefer and Brandon voiced strong concerns that Caltrans is installing a four-way stop at Highway 49/Shaw's Flat without local input, using a fast-tracked safety process. Supervisors worry about rear-end collisions on the dark, straight stretch and want alternatives like a signal or roundabout explored.
Encampment resolution funding expiring September 30
The ERF grant that funds Camp Justice and related homeless services has served 306 people, with 76 placed in permanent housing. The county is applying for round five funding by June 30, but won't know until September — and Supervisor Brandon flagged who pays the ~$10,000/month operating cost if the grant lapses.
New County Counsel appointment
Closed sessions were scheduled on the appointment of a new County Counsel, plus labor negotiations on the Community Development Director and all bargaining units — key leadership gaps the county is working to fill.
Mobile home rent control fair rate of return hearings
The Board pulled the ordinance amending mobile home rent control hearing provisions rather than adopt it Tuesday, meaning the change will come back for action later. Mobile home park residents and owners alike have a stake in how fair return hearings are run.
County Counsel Appointment
Walter Wall takes over as County Counsel July 1 at $228,571 a year — a savings versus the roughly $22,000/month temp legal firm contract, and with far more hours.
H.R. 1 Cost Shifts to Counties
Supervisor Campbell warned the governor's push to balance the state budget without a deficit is shifting costs onto counties, threatening HHSA funding for state-mandated programs.
Columbia College fire station and student firefighter program
The county signed a master agreement with Yosemite Community College District for fire captain services and a student firefighter internship program through mid-2028. Residents say the college station is only temporary and the county's planned Pereira House fire station — with $300,000 already spent — hasn't moved forward, leaving a $3 million grant unused.
Pioneer Community Energy October 2027 service launch
Pioneer, a community choice aggregator, will start buying the power-generation portion of local utility bills in October 2027, promising competitive rates and local control while PG&E keeps the wires. Customers are auto-enrolled but can opt out, and outreach begins months before launch.
Rugger Trail neighborhood dump dispute
Patricia Ray told the Board the so-called business park dump next to her home resumed hauling black mill waste on May 26, sending a pungent stink over the neighborhood and stinging her eyes and nose. She argues the county's own nuisance and land-use ordinances have been 'convoluted' to cater to Bruce Slayton's landfill, which she says was forced on a 60-year-old neighborhood.
Miner's Motel affordable housing conversion
The Jamestown Sanitary District's operations supervisor said the county bought the Miners Motel in 2024 and planned 18 studio apartments plus a duplex without ever contacting the district about sewer demand or fees — JSD only learned the scope from Habitat for Humanity in January 2026. The district has since lowered its fee factor for small units and asks the Board to build early consultation into future county projects.
Lake Tulloch campground closure and temporary concession
The South Shore campground, marina, and boat launch sat vacant after the prior concessionaire left, costing vacation rental owners TOT revenue, raising fire and vagrancy risks, and leaving the mussel decontamination station unoperated. The board approved a temporary operator through October and a $25,000 fix-up appropriation.
Willow Springs Drive culvert emergency repairs
Two 54-inch culverts on the only road in and out of this Soulsbyville-area community failed, forcing an emergency replacement funded through the road fund with FEMA reimbursement pending. Supervisors pressed for walkable shoulders and a future sidewalk via an active transportation grant.