Tulare County · issues
Civic issues
Topics getting the most attention in Tulare County public meetings, ranked by how frequently they come up.
FEMA Disaster Recovery Response
Supervisor Micari slammed FEMA for stalling on roughly $100 million in 2023 flood reimbursements and said he'll bring a blunt protest letter to the board and regional and statewide agencies.
Employee health plan premium increases
The preliminary budget projects $161 million in revenue and a $1.3 million positive balance, but assumes big cost trend increases — 8% on Anthem coverage and 6% on Kaiser. Member counties will use these numbers as they build their own budgets.
IHSS Caregiver Wages
An SEIU Local 2015 home care provider told the Board that more than 8,000 IHSS workers in the county struggle with the cost of living and asked the Board to invest in higher wages when contracts are negotiated.
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.
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.
State budget cuts to health and human services
CSAC's CEO warned that HR 1 could strip health coverage from nearly 1.5 million Californians and add CalFresh work-requirement bureaucracy. Counties are asking the state for roughly $1.9 billion next year to cover mandated indigent care, eligibility staffing, and behavioral health.
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.
Franchise hauler garbage rate increase
Trash rates in county service areas go up 3.36% starting July 1 — roughly $1.30 more per month for a typical 90-gallon cart. Residents not subscribed to organics service in waiver areas won't pay the organics surcharge, and franchise fees fund free cleanup events, bulky item disposal, and litter crews.
Agricultural Commissioner fee increases
The district is running a $68,295 net loss for the year, and a fee schedule overhaul is in the works — but only the next, local cemetery board will set the actual fees. That decision will affect what families pay for burials and plots.
FY 2025/26 Mid-Year Budget Report
Tulare County ran a $4.4 million deficit in the 2025 self-funded medical plan. Corrective steps include higher PPO renewals, a new EPO plan, a higher ER copay ($100 to $250), and an estimated $1.4 million share of savings from the new pharmacy benefit manager.
Financial transparency and public records access
Residents questioned $54,765 in 'other' pay spending that wasn't explained in the financial reports, and complained about being charged a dollar per page for printed records and losing online access to financials. Staff explained the spending is CalPers and vacation payout accounting being reclassified, and promised to work on restoring public online access.