Qualifications to Apply: Must be a registered voter within the district and must not have been a trustee of the district within the last 5 years.

Functions: Set policy, ensure legal compliance, oversee financial stewardship, and provide strategic direction for the district while maintaining ethical and transparent governance. The Board has employed a District Manager to carry out policy, direct district operations, provide day-to-day supervision of staff and control and administer district expenditures.

Requirements to Serve: Complete Ethics training, Sexual Harassment and Prevention training, Virtual Board Compliance training, and Fiscal & Financial training every two years; complete a Statement of Economic Interest FORM 700 upon assuming office, and annually thereafter.

Initial Term of Appointment: Three Seats will expire January 3, 2028, and Two Seats will expire January 7, 2030

Compensation: $100 for each regular meeting attended, and $25 for each special board meeting attended.

How to Apply:

Option 1: Complete online application at https://tularecounty.ca.gov/clerkoftheboard/boards-and-commissions/

Option 2: Request an application and email completed application to clerkoftheboard@tularecounty.ca.gov

Deadline to Apply: 12:00 p.m., Friday, April 17, 2026

If you have any questions, please contact the Clerk of the Board office at clerkoftheboard@tularecounty.ca.gov or (559) 636-5002.

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https://www.tulare.ca.gov/Home/Components/Calendar/Event/15369/232?toggle=next7days&selcat=1

The city’s website states the amenities were closed to the public but after a group of concerned citizens met with the Parks and Recreation director the park now is accessible after school and the bathrooms, which had been closed, will be open on a regular schedule.

Years ago the Cesar Chavez Park was approved by the City Council and the site was selected because that area was “underserved” in regard to park amenities.

The recent “covering of the Cesar Chavez monument” I feel was too quickly directed and majority of the “people” especially neighborhood it serves!

We are requesting all citizens throughout Tulare County give public comment during the city council meeting regarding the park.

After setting up an advisory committee and gathering input from the public, the final authority for naming a park rests with the city council.

But, a City Council appointed Advisory Committee does not provide “confidence” that what happens to the park will be representative of the public will or allows sufficient outreach that would make commenting more available.

Tulare Municipal Code 12.06.020 Parks and Recreation provides that the city must give “significant” public notice and allow for public input before recommendations are made for the park.

But this request for public input should be made at a Special Meeting of the City Council at a time the public can attend. The 5:30 pm meeting time of the city council meetings creates a BARRIER for attendance!

Our efforts to provide “public input” as provided by the Brown Act is being ASSAULTED!

A Special Meeting should be at 7:00pm to ensure all the public can comment not just those community members who do not work or have the luxury of adjusting their schedule. A 7:00pm start time is more reasonable for our hard working community.

Having the meeting at 5:30 does not take into consideration shift work in medical or manufacturing jobs.  It is also when most workers are traveling back home at the end of their work day.

The 5:30 pm meeting time of the Tulare City Council is a BARRIER to public input and in personal attendance. Also, statistics show a significant drop in viewers after time change from 7:00 pm to 5:30.

Yes, the opportunity for public comment is provided for but it is not guaranteed your concerns will be heard or taken into consideration by the City Council.

If it’s possible we urge everyone to attend City Council Meeting at 5:30 on April 7th and complete the “request for public comment” card and address the City Council. Even if you do not complete the card anyone can still make a public comment.

If you cannot attend the meeting please try to attend virtually on April 7th to make your views a Public Record.

CESAR CHAVEZ is a COMMUNITY Park and PUBLIC INPUT is not limited to residents within the City of Tulare!

SAVE and HONOR of the integrity and suffering of the farmer workers during their time!

Emails can be sent before meeting begins at 5:30 pm “City clerk@tulare.ca.gov  or leave voicemail 559 366 1849 at 5:00.

DONT let elected officials decide WHAT is BEST for the overall community!

DONT let elected officials decide “what is horrible news”

BE SOMEBODY, make your opinion known as a PUBLIC RECORD!!!

“People of the State DO NOT yield their SOVEREIGNTY to the agencies that SERVE them.”

The post Cesar Chavez Park on Tulare City Council Agenda – Make Your Voice Heard! appeared first on Valley Voice.

City strategizing for new state laws concerning cannabis sales

At the latest council meeting on Monday, March 16, city economic development manager Devon Jones unpacked the latest tweaks and changes to a set of proposed ordinances that would give City Hall the right to oversee and tax recreational cannabis businesses. The process began in May 2024, and this is the third time the plans have been presented for council review.

Yet there’s still no indication the city will ever issue licenses to sell recreational cannabis, even if the proposed changes to the law are eventually enacted.

“The direction currently is to establish the entire regulatory framework for a cannabis business program, but set the number of licenses to be issued for all use types to zero,” Jones said. “This at any point in the future could be changed by a simple resolution at whatever time either the council desires to open that up, or maybe the state perhaps passes the mandate in the industry.”

The work is being done now to get ahead of any possible changes to state law that could force cities to allow recreational sales. A similar state mandate in 2023 forced Visalia to begin allowing the delivery of medical cannabis inside the city limits. It’s been a particular concern since then for Councilman Brian Poochigian.

“Let’s put some kind of tax measure on the books so we have it there so the state doesn’t come down and say, ‘Hey, you have to allow this, and this is where the money goes,’” he said of the proposed code changes. “I’m glad we’re setting up a framework where we locally can determine – if we ever decide to do this – where the money is going to go to best help our community. So, I like what we’re doing.”

City’s Cannabis Consultant to Craft Fee Schedule

In the end, the council approved spending another $12,000 on consultant fees to continue shaping the future of the city’s potential cannabis industry. HdL Companies, which serves as Visalia’s cannabis law consultant, will assist staff at City Hall with a fee schedule for various types of potential cannabis businesses.

HdL’s job is to make sure Visalia taps all available revenue from the future potential sales of cannabis, Jones said.

“Obviously fees are an important part of this entire regulatory framework,” he said. “And they (HdL) will help us in the finance department, more specifically, make sure we’re covering all bases in terms of all the applicable fees for this.”

The planning going on now is intended to ensure the city maximizes its portion of the revenue flow while making doing business reasonable. And it will not be cheap to operate a cannabis business in Visalia.

“A clear thing that we’re going to indicate is that all licensees will be expected to pay an annual minimum to the city of $50,000 or 1% of annual gross receipts, whichever is greater,” Jones said. “How we came to that figure, there was some research conducted (in) neighboring jurisdictions, I won’t go through all of it, but that number on an annual basis seemed to be appropriate.”

Visalia Studies How Other Cities Handle Cannabis Business

The city’s research included evaluating how Tulare, Porterville and Lemoore have approached licensing and fees. Data from Farmersville, Woodlake and Lindsay was not included. The three cities studied have all negotiated individually with the various retail cannabis businesses. These agreements sometimes include initial fees, and each city requires annual payments.

As the cannabis code stands now, Visalia would not charge a large initial application fee. However, one could be added.

“There’ll be application fees, like some of them you notice an annual license fee,” Jones said. “We’ll have those kinds of things, obviously.”

Each city has set its own cannabis tax rate, which varies in Tulare County from 5% to 10%. Visalia has yet to fix its retail cannabis sales tax rate, though it has set a maximum.

“The tax rate of course will be factored in,” Jones said. “Currently, we have the ability to charge up to 10%. That’ll be something we have to establish at a later time.”

The city could also reverse course on initial lump-sum payments for new applicants, Jones added.

“The initial kinds of fees are something else that could be considered,” he said. “We’d create new licensing fees. That’s something to be determined.”

City Manager to Control Applications, Appeals

Should the city ever allow retail cannabis businesses to operate in Visalia, they’ll all be required to get a conditional use permit (CUP) from City Hall to open their doors. Delivery of cannabis for medical use will be exempt.

Retail shops open to the public will be allowed in established regional and service commercial zones, as well as in commercial mixed zones. But they won’t be allowed in the city’s downtown microbrewery district on East Main Street. Businesses without storefronts – such as distributors, processors, testing labs and manufacturers – will be confined to the city’s Industrial Park.

“That would mean the industrial park proper west of Shirk (Road),” Jones said. “There are pockets of industrial zoning in town, and some light industrial. So we’re just being clear that this is specifically the industrial and light industrial zone we’re wanting to include.”

The businesses will be allowed to operate from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. daily. Because of state law, medical cannabis delivery will be allowed from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. The plan is to roll the current medical cannabis ordinances into the set of regulations now being crafted.

An entirely separate city ordinance will cover the license application process and how the applicants will be selected. The city manager will have control of who can apply and oversee the qualification process. However, those who ultimately receive the licenses will be chosen by lottery.

“The city manager is authorized to make all decisions concerning the issuance of renewal licenses and the licenses themselves,” Jones said. “And similarly, all appeals will be heard by an appointee designated by the city manager.”

By choosing licensees from a pool of qualified applicants, the city hopes to avoid becoming entangled in long appeals with applicants who ultimately don’t win the right to do business.

“This is more of the current industry standard in terms of establishing this kind of business framework. (We have a) strong recommendation from our consultants at HdL,” Jones said. “It’s kind of more streamlined, and a process that we believe will assist us with the likely appeal process that will occur for any unselected applicants.”

Loads of Paperwork Await Cannabis Biz Applicants

The application process for getting a cannabis business license in Visalia will be rigorous. Applicants will have to prove they have a location to do business and the landlord’s OK. They’ll also have to provide documentation from an insurance company that their business can be covered. The city also wants its own exposure minimized, requiring inspection agreements, statements of limitations on liability and background checks for owners and managers.

Jones said the city will look at four areas of concern.

“First is the business plan, which consists of such things as the owners’ prior licenses that they’ve held and their jurisdictions, whether they’ve had any licenses suspended or revoked in any other jurisdictions, their proof of capitalization for the project, including their construction budget,” he said.

Applicants will have to present a neighborhood compatibility plan to show the business will have adequate buffers from things like churches and schools. They’ll also need a safety and security plan, and a community benefits plan that shows how they intend to be an asset to the city beyond creating revenue.

“Knowing that we want to select quality applicants in the process, staff and the consultant worked hard on ensuring that there were certain requirements in the application process that kind of ensured quality applicants,” Jones said. “But also post-selection means to ensure that people are delivering on their development plans.”

Once a license is issued, it cannot be transferred or sold for at least five years. When a license is transferred, the city will look as thoroughly at the exchange as it looks at new applicants.

“It’s going to basically be prohibited to transfer a license during that timeframe,” Jones said. “And also any transferees or (applicants) who might want to transfer a license are approved by the city manager, and the process is essentially treated like a new application.”

Mayor Brett Taylor still has concerns about license transfers despite these precautions. He’d like the ordinance to include a considerable fee for transferring existing recreational cannabis business licenses.

“I’d like to do that, because at the end of the day what we’ve heard from the consultant that we met with is that they (cannabis business owners) just play games, change up management, change up ownership,” Taylor said. “I prefer that if we catch that, we just hit them with a transfer fee of $500,000 or $1,000,000 or whatever it may be. So if they’re going to play games, there’s going to be pain.”

When Will Visalia Allow Cannabis Sales? Not Yet!

As city officials and staff are quick to point out, there is no plan to allow recreational cannabis businesses to open in Visalia. But all the pieces are moving into place.

“We don’t exactly have a timeframe,” Jones said about creating a fee schedule. “I would assume a couple months to get the work conducted and then come back.”

And there’s apparently no sense of urgency at City Hall.

“Really, because we’re still going to be establishing the licenses at zero, we could take this in chunks,” Jones said.

Meanwhile, the public remains of two minds. Visalian Gabriel Jaquez spoke of his concerns over how cannabis businesses were certified, as well as the effect of cannabis on homelessness and mental health, and the reduced ability of workers to pass drug tests as a result.

“Anytime you have drugs and alcohol, it’s not a good thing,” he said. “Cannabis is a drug.”

Adolpho Ace Castillo, owner and operator of the popular retail cannabis outlet Banyan Tree in Fresno, spoke in favor of the city opening itself to recreational sales.

“As an operator, I just want to take you behind the curtain,” Castillo said. “At a 4% rate that the city of Fresno (charges) and at about a 600 to 700 customers per day that come into the Bayan Tree, an average of $25,000 to $26,000 or around that a month goes to the city as a local tax, and close to $200,000 a month to the state of California.”

He also asked the city council to keep ownership of cannabis businesses limited to those who already live here.

“I just want you guys to consider local ownership as a bonus of some sort as deciding who’s going to get this license,” Castillo said. “Especially in a city like Visalia, it’s going to be very limited. Please keep it local.”

The post Visalia reviews rules for cannabis sales again, but still no licenses appeared first on Valley Voice.

Saturday, March 28 seemed like a good day for a protest. Skies were blue, the sun was out, the temperature was in the low 80’s. The number of angry drivers, flipping protesters off seemed to be at a minimum. “We’ve only had about half the middle fingers we normally get,” said one protester with a laugh.

There was some debate about that. “Actually, I’d say, we’re getting double the number,” said Sarah Schater Welch. “Last time, I got two middle fingers and so far today, it’s been four.”

Among the many things Welch and others were protesting was the war in Iran, the detainment of refugees without due process, rising gas and food prices, and the apparent erosion of constitutional norms under the Trump administration.

Across the country and the world, 8 million people gathered to protest the Trump administration. In Three Rivers, about 175 protestors showed up, close to 10 percent of the town’s population.

“At first, I thought these protests weren’t doing any good,” Welch said, “but what these protests do is show lawmakers how many people are participating. It makes a great visual when you show all the people marching in these protests versus the number of people who attended Trump’s birthday party parade.”

Local resident, Christina Lynch, was attending her third No Kings protest in Three Rivers. “This feels like the least we can do. There’s so much more we need to be doing,” she said, “I think it’s really important to get out here and show people the faces of people who are against these polices. They think that we’re crazy or we’re stupid or we’re uninformed, which is sometimes what we think of them, right?” said Lynch.

Lynch was holding a sign that said, “If you ate today, thank an immigrant.”

The sign was meant to be deliberately anti-inflammatory, said Lynch who spoke amidst a chorus of encouraging honks from passerby. “This sign is inviting people to see a connection between the administration’s policies and the fact that gas prices have gone up enormously and that food prices are rising.”

For Lynch, the most disturbing part of the Trump administration are the “concentration camps” and the plans to build facilities to warehouse 80,000 more detainees long term.

“We’re not talking about violent criminals. These are family members of citizens. These are people who are growing our food, processing the meat, roofers, and builders,” Lynch said.

The whole idea of America was built on the idea that that the United States doesn’t turn away immigrants, said Lynch whose family emigrated from Ireland.

“My family came from starving to death in Ireland to the United States, and they didn’t turn them away. After a couple of generations in poverty, my grandfather had about 20 grandkids and no one is living in poverty. This is the story of immigration in America. We accept people who are escaping poverty and violence. We educate their kids, and that’s America.”

Three Rivers is an interesting microcosm of the United States, where the town is almost evenly divided between republicans and democrats. While this divide has created some friction among neighbors and friends, Jenny Kirk, who helped organize the No Kings protest has heard anecdotal stories of Trump supporters beginning to question federal policy.

“There’s this worry about neighbors seeing neighbors at these protests,” Kirk said. “I have a neighbor who I was worried about giving me a hard time because he’s a Trump supporter. But actually, my neighbor stopped me and said, ‘I just want you to know I’m not down with what’s going on.’”

Bob Davis, a contractor who lives in Visalia who does occasional work in Three Rivers didn’t attend any of the protests on Saturday. He voted for Trump three times and said he would vote for him again if he could.

Immigrants should be detained and deported if they didn’t come to the U.S. legally, Davis said.  “If they break the law, they should suffer the consequences. I think this whole No Kings protest is ridiculous. Kings don’t get elected. I haven’t heard any liberal say why they think he’s a king. No MAGA person calls him a king. As far as I’m concerned, he’s doing great. He just got rid of a dictatorship in Iran,” Davis said.

Davis doesn’t agree with all of Trump’s policies. He doesn’t like the idea of putting boots on the ground in Iran, and he especially doesn’t like the idea of endangering the lives of young American soldiers.

“To tell you the truth, I don’t know what’s happening in the world right now. I really don’t know to be honest with you. I think it’s all more convoluted and complex than everyone thinks,” Davis said.

Tracey Kilmartin, a Visalia resident who’s on a fixed income, said he’s glad he voted for Trump, even though he’s not happy about the soaring gas prices.

“I’m on disability and so this makes it extra hard for me, but you learn to cope.”

Kilmartin said he’s willing to pay higher prices because he believes that Iran is too dangerous if it truly has the makings of a nuclear bomb.

“The Iranian people are executing their own people in the streets, and we just can’t accept that. I would rather pay higher gas prices and food prices than have a nuclear bomb dropping on us,” said Kilman, who believes fuel prices will eventually drop once the hostilities with Iran are over.

Protesters around the country were decrying high food and fuel prices, including the No Kings protest just down the road in Porterville. Over 150 people attended the protest which was hosted by the Porterville Community Action Network (PCAN), established in 2017 to hold the federal as well as the local political administrations accountable, said Diane Wagner, one of the organizers.

“We’ve been having a lot of problems with the local city council these past few years. They are basically a mini version of the Trump administration. They wanted to pass a transgender bathroom ban and they just fired 19 people in the engineering department so they can privatize the whole department with independent contractors,” Wagner said.

The move to privatize a city department is worrying because there will be much less public oversight. Equally worrying is the ongoing public erosion of the division of church and state, Wagner said

“Our mayor just went to a school and was telling the kids that the way to have a good life is to get married, have kids and trust in Jesus. Those are personal things, and if that’s what you believe, go for it. But you don’t go telling that to kids in a public school,” Wagner said.

Karen Anderson, another member of PCAN said that the No Kings protests are encouraging to her because she feels less like a singular “blue dot” in an otherwise conservative town. She knows at least a couple of Trump supporters who are rethinking their support for Trump because of rising prices and the war in Iran.

“I think people are thinking that it’s time to get back to taking care of the United States instead of investing in the goings on in other countries and starting wars, especially when the current president said he would not get us involved in any new wars. It was supposed to be America first. Now it seems like it’s America last.”

The post No Kings protests come to Three Rivers, Porterville appeared first on Valley Voice.

There are two opportunities for residents to join the conversation:

• Virtual Zoom Meeting: Monday, April 6, from 6-7 p.m. via Zoom Webinar ID 892 0281 3552 or visit https://us02web.zoom.us/j/89202813552?pwd=Dpzc9BMHUtO2k9LSAGGkQ17Bwwlv7d.1
• In-Person Meeting: Thursday, April 16, from 6-7 p.m. at Tulare Council Chambers (491 North M Street).

The purpose of these meetings is to provide the community with a clear understanding of the City’s financial planning and how local funds are allocated. There will be a presentation from staff detailing the budget, followed by dedicated time for residents to ask questions.

“We want our residents to be active partners in shaping Tulare’s future,” said City Manager Marc Mondell. “The City budget is the foundational blueprint for how we deliver the essential services our community relies on every single day, from public safety to our local parks. We invite everyone to pull up a chair, ask questions, and help us build a stronger Tulare together.”

For Fiscal Year (FY) 2026, the City’s operating budget is $177.9 million, which encompasses expenditures for Tulare’s day-to-day operations. Funding for local services — including public safety, streets, parks, and community programs — relies heavily on sales tax revenue. The projected sales tax revenue for FY 2026 is $22.3 million, which reflects a decrease compared to FY 2025.

Despite revenue shifts, the City remains dedicated to fiscal responsibility and community enhancement. “Responsible financial stewardship requires us to be adaptable to economic shifts, but it also requires us to listen,” said Chief Financial Officer Mark Roberts. “These meetings are a great opportunity for us to walk residents through our financial strategies, explain how their tax dollars are working for them, and hear directly about which local investments matter most.”

Vital community investments are already visible throughout Tulare, highlighted by recent projects such as the Zumwalt Park renovation, the Tulare Business Innovation Zone (TBIZ), and the K-9 Bane Dog Park. Over the next five years, the city plans to move forward with a range of Capital Improvement projects aimed at strengthening public facilities, supporting growth, and ensuring the sustainability of services for residents and businesses alike.

Residents are encouraged to submit specific questions in advance to be addressed during the forum. Please send inquiries to cityclerk@tulare.ca.gov. To learn more about the City’s financial planning, please visit Tulare’s Budget webpage.

The post City of Tulare invites residents to upcoming community meetings about city budget appeared first on Valley Voice.

There will be one less item on the November ballot after the Visalia City Council decided not to ask voters for approval of a new sales tax to cover the cost of unfunded capital improvement projects already in the works, including an aquatics center, the East Side Regional Park and the third and final phase of the incomplete civic center project.

Council Divided on Unclear Motion

In a split 3-2 vote at their March 2 meeting, members of the Visalia City Council declined to spend $45,000 for a survey of voters to gauge their support for a 0.75% sales tax. Voting for the measure were Councilman Emmanuel Soto and Vice Mayor Liz Wynn. Opposing the item were councilmen Brian Poochigian and Steve Nelsen, and Mayor Brett Taylor, who had previously supported it.

The revenue generated by the tax would have been earmarked for construction projects the city expects to complete during the next decades. Those projects include upgrades to the Visalia Convention Center, improvements to the Senior Center and the long-awaited aquatics center.

In recent years, voters in Visalia have approved two similar sales tax measures: Measure N for items like public safety, road construction and parks maintenance, and Measure T to fund the needs of the fire and police departments. The idea of asking voters to approve a third tax measure, one to fund so-called capital improvement projects, such as building new facilities and upgrading existing ones, was introduced back on January 20, when the council was looking again at costs and specifications for an aquatics park.

However, the wording of the item considered March 2 apparently wasn’t clear in the minds of the council members.  Poochigian and Nelsen stated the proposed tax was only to fund the aquatics center, while Soto, who proposed it in January, said the tax revenue would be used for the long list of underfunded and unfunded projects City Hall is planning.

Mayor Wants Citizens to Take a Leading Role

But the deciding no vote that put the item to rest came from Mayor Taylor, who believes it should be citizens not the council who get the proposed tax measure in front of voters.

“If we had funds for pools and parks and East Side Regional Park, and if we could do it all tomorrow, that’d be fantastic,” Taylor said. “My eyes are wide and my tail is bushy over the potential of getting $100 million, $200 million, whatever it would get from this potential tax measure, but I always said it shouldn’t be coming from the council.”

Previous voter-approved sales tax increases, which were initiated by the council, have targeted immediate and pressing needs, and Taylor doesn’t see the urgency this time. But if citizens do see that need, he would like them to take the lead.

“If it was a major need – police, fire – that’s a different story,” he said. “I want this to come from the citizens. I want it to be a citizen-based ballot measure.”

Swimming Pool Talk Turned into Tax Measure Study

Back on January 20, after hearing about the costs and benefits of an aquatics center with both a competitive 50-meter pool and a large recreational pool for general use – 64% of the $1 million annual operating cost is labor, and 24% utilities, with the facility fees generating about half that amount – the council ultimately decided to have the staff at Parks and Rec investigate funding costs for either a one-time construction project or a phased project, as well as coming up with an initial project timeline.

But before that happened, they questioned Parks and Rec director Jason Glick about funding on hand for a swimming facility.

“We have no funding available right now,” he said.

City Manager Leslie Caviglia said a city-owned property purchased with Parks and Rec funds could be sold, and the income used for the aquatics center. The land is located at Akers Road and Riggen Avenue.

“There has been discussion that that could then be used to start a pool project,” she said. “We will be getting additional impact fees and, if you direct us, then we go out and figure out what to do. There are limitations, and then there can be tradeoffs with other projects.”

“Tradeoffs” in this case could mean delaying other projects and redirecting funding to the pools. Caviglia also introduced the idea of sales tax as a funding source. That was when Poochigian tried to put the brakes on discussion, using the ongoing three-phase Civic Center construction project as an example.

“We planned the Civic Center for 20-plus years. So for anyone who thinks this is going to be a quick decision that we’re going to vote on this, and then be done, I just want to put this in perspective that we are a government agency that doesn’t make snap decisions,” he said. “We make long-term plans, and that’s the way the city looks the way it does today.”

Poochigian cautioned construction of an aquatic center is still years in the future. Going slowly prevents mistakes, he added.

“We put a lot of thought into things. So anybody who thinks we’re going to have a swimming pool in a year, just look at the timeline. It’s not going to happen. But we want to make sure we do things correctly,” he said. “I want to temper expectations. I know there’s an article in the Valley Voice that says there’s a swimming pool coming. That doesn’t mean it’s going to be coming soon.”

That’s when Councilman Soto introduced the idea of putting a tax measure before voters.

“The one thing we can do is instead of making it 20 years, we could make it five to 10 years,” Soto said. “That can be with a sales tax measure that we let the voters vote on, and then set priorities.”

City Needs the Money, but Council Hasn’t Planned How to Spend It

Soto’s proposal would have seen voters asked to increase the city sales tax rate by 0.75%, an amount equal to the combined income of Measure N and Measure T. Those taxes generated $25 million over the last year, and the capital improvements sales tax measure should earn a similar amount.

But how the council would use that money hasn’t been discussed yet.

“How we set that percentage-wise, 70/30 with new projects opposed to current projects, that’s up for debate,” Soto said. “Measure T, which is 1/4 of a cent, and Measure N, which is half a cent, which is 3/4 cent by extension, generated about $25 million just this last year.”

The sales tax measure could have appeared on the ballot as early as November of this year. Had it done so and voters approved it, the city would have started seeing that revenue come in during fiscal year 2027-28. Soto said the need for added income is clear in planning documents.

“We have a $10 million shortfall on Parks and Rec as we speak,” he said. “This funding for the next couple of years, whether we set a timeline on it or not, would help tremendously with all the CIP (capital improvement projects) we’ve been discussing for the last couple months.”

Councilman Poochigian refused to support any move to increase taxes, while Councilman Nelsen expressed his doubts voters would OK added taxes.

“I disagree on a sales tax measure. There are other agencies looking at sales tax measures, and in the current economy, I question if a sales tax… (could get approved),” he said. “You only get one chance at a sales tax measure, and then you have to wait a while. You have got to make sure it goes through.”

Vice Mayor Wynn also supports the sales tax idea.

“I’d love to see us look at a sales tax measure that wouldn’t just be for the pool, but other recreation,” she said. “We’ve got a senior center that needs help. We’ve got a shortfall in our parks. There’s other things that are quality-of-life issues here in Visalia, and when you spread it out over a sales tax measure it’s not just people from Visalia that are helping with that burden.”

Wynn also wants to see the results of a survey of voters.

“If they come back and say no way, then we’ll have to get creative,” she said.

While Mayor Taylor supported the survey when it was proposed in January, he was worried there was no income stream to pay for the $1 million in annual upkeep an aquatics center will require.

“My worry is the cost. Saddling our community with a million dollars in debt a year, that can be dangerous. I’m not going to go into debt just to get a party pool,” he said, adding that community support is strong for public pools, but he wants more citizen involvement in finding the money to build them.

“I would like to see the community get together and see if we can really put something together,” he said.

Opposition Says Council Moving Too Fast

All that discussion, however, was at the first council meeting of the year. Two months later issues had ripened, and some opinions had changed.

When the topic was introduced at the March 2 meeting, it met with pushback, starting with objections from someone with extensive experience getting the voting public’s support behind a sales tax measure.

“I’m asking the council to … vote no on spending the money for a survey,” said Visalia resident Harold Myers. “I’ve served on two citizen committees for the city council to evaluate potential tax measures. In both cases, the process started with identifying a clear need. Only after that did we look at surveys. That distinction matters, because there is a real difference between a need and a want.”

Poochigian then reiterated his anti-tax stance, yet offering his support for an aquatics center.

“Where I struggle with this is I don’t believe in taxing our individuals for something like this,” he said. “I think it needs to be well thought out. I’m not against the pool, but to just say we’re going to tax our residents, increase taxes for that, I’m totally against.”

He and Nelsen then stated their belief the proposed sales tax measure was intended only for an aquatics center. That was the item up for discussion when the idea of a new tax was introduced at the January meeting. The wording of the item voted on March 2 does not include limiting the use of revenue to any project or fund.

“If we do go down this path, the motion was to vote purely for parks and recreation. I don’t want this to play any games and pull public safety or any other organizations that pull just to get this passed,” Poochigian said. “If you guys do decide to go down this path, I do want to make sure that this is solely for a new swimming pool and a Parks and Recreation sales tax. I think it would be very dishonest if we try to play word games just to get this passed, just so we could get the funds.”

Nelsen agreed with Poochigian’s reasoning despite the lack of any spending limits in the item presented to the city council.

“If any other fluff is put on this, it’s dishonest,” he said, adding that the idea of a new sales tax was “a knee-jerk reaction” to the city’s budget gaps.

Tax Revenue Could Fund Any City Project

Soto countered that Nelsen and Poochigian misunderstood his intent when he proposed the sales tax idea in January. The funds would be available wherever they’re needed.

“I didn’t just say the pool when I mentioned this at the last meeting,” he said. “I mentioned the convention center, which needs a lot of funding, the Civic Center Phase 3, which we don’t have the complete funding for, yes, I mentioned the aquatic center, East Side Regional Park, the $10 million in funding that we don’t have for our current parks projects, and then just recently we’re losing a grant on public safety for clinicians on the HOPE (Homeless Outreach and Proactive Enforcement) team.”

Soto said the revenue stream could be used to fund any need the council perceives, not just those projects in the works that still lack funding.

“So this is for anything that we as a council see that the city needs,” he said. “Some of these things are quality-of-life items. I don’t want to plan here for an aquatics center, Civic Center Phase 3, convention center (and) East Side Regional Park that’s going to happen 40 years from now. I’d love to see it in the next 10 years if possible.”

Nelsen, while still voting no, said the idea was more appealing to him when presented in its intended form.

“If the motion included East (Side) Regional Park, convention center, civic center, and I forget the other litany of items you said, I probably would be more in support of putting a survey out, but my recollection is the vote was for a sales tax for the pool complex, which included a rec park and a humongous pool,” Nelsen said. “I think the timing is poor. I think the economy is poor.”

He suggested using the $45,000 consulting fee to fund parks already approved by the council that have no funding or too little.

“Take the $45,000 and put it in the inclusive park,” Nelsen said. That’s been languishing for seven fricking years. It’s time to complete what we start instead of setting up another Taj Mahal, and this is what you’re looking to do.”

With Wynn and Soto supporting the proposal, and Poochigian and Nelsen firmly against it, the deciding vote fell to Mayor Taylor. He became philosophical as he explained his reasoning, praising a recent presentation on City Hall’s recent accomplishments.

“We’ve been running this city so well, what’s left? Well, really, the life enjoyment, the parks and recreation,” Taylor said. “So I can see how we got here, because so many things have been going well, what other things can we do well?”

But the proposal before the council, he said, was too loose. City leaders need more time to think through the options and consequences.

“We’re trying to rush this through, and that’s something we’ve never done on this council,” Taylor said before casting the vote to stall the sales tax survey. “Let’s think this out and put some long-term planning into this.”

The post Visalia council says no to capital improvements sales tax vote appeared first on Valley Voice.

“Voters in our district deserve to be represented by elected officials who are willing to listen to them and share their vision for a better future,” said Randy Villegas. “For over a decade, David Valadao has failed our communities by refusing to face them. We don’t need more politicians who will cowardly hide from their constituents, we need bold leadership now. Voters deserve to know where candidates stand on the issues. So, I challenge my opponents to answer the “tough” questions our voters deserve answers to.”

Villegas’ campaign has continued to gain momentum, recently passing $1M raised and launching a town hall tour without pre-screened questions. Over 100 residents attended his Bakersfield town hall, and he will hold his second town hall this Sunday, March 15th in Tulare.

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The University Center project was made possible by the passage of Measure C, a voter-approved bond passed in 2022 to support new educational facilities and workforce development initiatives across the South Valley Region. Construction on the new building is now underway and is expected to be completed in time for the Fall 2028 semester.

The University Center will expand partnerships between College of the Sequoias and four-year universities, allowing students to complete bachelor’s and potentially master’s degrees locally. Since 2017, the college has partnered with California State University, Fresno to offer programs through the Fresno State South Valley campus in Visalia. More than 3,700 students have already benefited from this partnership, demonstrating strong demand for expanded university access in the region.

Despite a strong transfer pipeline, Tulare County remains the second largest county in California without a public four-year university, and the region ranks among the lowest in the state for bachelor’s degree attainment. The University Center aims to address this gap by expanding local access to four-year degree pathways, reducing the need for students to relocate or commute long distances to complete their education. The project will also support regional workforce development by helping local employers access a larger applicant pool of graduates.

Community leaders, college officials, students, and regional partners are invited to attend the groundbreaking ceremony celebrating the beginning of construction and the next phase of higher education expansion in the Central Valley.

The post College of the Sequoias breaks ground on University Center at Visalia Campus appeared first on Valley Voice.

In addition to causing sharp increases in fuel and fertilizer costs, the war has disrupted access to key export markets.

“As the largest exporting state, California and our exporters and producers are bearing the brunt of these market and export impacts,” Jay Van Rein, acting director of public affairs at the California Department of Food and Agriculture, said in a statement.

Van Rein said growers and handlers had reported canceled shipments and orders, delayed or diverted deliveries, and skyrocketing shipping costs.

“We are in our peak shipping period for commodities like tree nuts going to this growing market region,” he said.

Since the war began on Feb. 28, Iran has responded to U.S. attacks by effectively closing the Strait of Hormuz, a narrow waterway through which about a fifth of the world’s oil is normally transported. The Middle Eastern nation has also used missiles and drones to paralyze commercial ports in nearby countries that host U.S. military bases.

“Everybody is afraid of going through the Persian Gulf,” said Jock O’Connell, international trade adviser at Beacon Economics. “It’s going to be more difficult to get goods to markets.”

Nut exports 

The disruption has been especially painful for exporters of California almonds, walnuts and pistachios. All three crops rank among the state’s top agricultural export commodities, and in the past decade an increasing share of them have been purchased by buyers in the Gulf.

Robert Verloop, CEO of the California Walnut Board and Commission, said the trade group was in the midst of a Middle East advertising blitz, marketing the nutrient-rich nuts to observers of Ramadan, which began Feb. 19, when the war broke out.

“Ramadan is a is a very key consumption time for California walnuts,” Verloop said. “When the conflict started, we knew there were a lot of loads on the water.”

Last week, the walnut commission estimated 70,000 tons of walnuts, or about 10% of the billion-dollar sector’s yearly production, were either en route to the Middle East or scheduled to be shipped there this month.

“That certainly is at risk,” Verloop said. “It is possible that the impact of this will be negligible, but the short-term numbers are such that it is very concerning to us.”

He said the walnut commission halted its monthlong promotion in the region because the nuts were stuck at sea or being rerouted to ports around the world.

“Any ships that were on the water have been held to the east of the Strait of Hormuz, just like you see on the news with oil tankers being held,” Verloop said. “Everyone in the freight-forwarding business is scrambling to figure out what product is on the water and where we can take it.”

Bikram Hundal, vice president of operations for Earlimart-based Sequoia Nut Company/Custom Almonds LLC in Tulare County, said the company had about 300 tons of almonds, walnuts and pistachios that departed the Port of Long Beach a few weeks ago and were bound for the United Arab Emirates in 15 different shipping containers on various vessels.

“They will not get there,” Hundal said. “That’s for sure.”

With cargo ships unable to reach Dubai’s Port of Jebel Ali, a major regional hub, one of Hundal’s nut shipments was diverted to the Netherlands; another was rerouted to Algeria. His only realistic option, he said, is to find new buyers for the nuts and most likely sell them at a discount.

“It’s going to be a loss,” Hundal said.

Matthew Viohl, federal policy director for the California Farm Bureau, said trade disruptions often highlight how intertwined supply chains have become.

“California agriculture relies heavily on international markets, and increased volatility makes planning and contracting much more difficult in both the short and long term,” Viohl said.

Meanwhile, costs have mounted for exporters as shipping companies began imposing surcharges to cover increased fuel prices and added risks, in some cases more than doubling container rates.

Verloop said that in the event port access is restored in the Gulf, the extra charges could cost the walnut sector an additional $15 million next month to deliver its products to the region.

“It’s expected this would have some kind of downward pressure on the final payments that growers could receive,” Verloop said. “It’s a devastating situation.”

Hundal said the added cost and risk of shipping cargo, and the cancellation of new shipments from California to the Middle East, was causing inventory to build up and overall nut prices to drop.

“Now, we have all this extra product,” he said. “It puts pressure on other markets.”

Verloop said the walnut commission was appealing to the state and federal governments for “some kind of restitution or way to cover some of those costs.”

In addition to tree nut exports, Van Rein said CDFA had gathered information on impacts to growers and handlers of olives, wild rice, blueberries and other commodities.

“We have heard from many segments of the industry,” he said.

Perishable cargo

The war has also impacted the movement of air freight and refrigerated containers used to ship produce from California to the Middle East and elsewhere.

In 2024, California exported billions of dollars’ worth of fresh fruits and vegetables, with premium products and highly perishable crops such as cherries and strawberries shipped by air freight.

“Many agricultural products by their nature have to fly on air cargo, and a lot of them transit through that region,” said Brandon Fried, executive director of the Airforwarders Association.

Fried said the presence of major airline hubs in Doha, Dubai and Abu Dhabi means the Gulf plays an outsized role in the transport of air cargo. According to a recent analysis by WorldACD, about 21% of all air cargo flows through the Middle East.

“Planes are just avoiding that area,” Fried said, adding that shipping capacity at some airports in the Gulf dropped by nearly half since the war began.

Chris Connell, president at California-based Commodity Forwarders Inc., which transports perishable food products worldwide, said orders from California to the Middle East for the coming weeks were down by more than 70%, affecting the shipment of strawberries and fresh dairy products such as sour cream and cheese.

“Right now, we’re servicing at a very minimal scale,” Connell said.

He added that because most California fruits are not yet in season, and more are shipped to East Asia than the Middle East, the biggest economic blow could come from the potential impact of increased freight rates in the coming months.

“The longer this situation continues, where the strait is closed and there’s a war feeling in the air, that impacts not just what we do in the Middle East but also in Europe and Asia,” Connell said. “That is the largest concern.”

Fried said that in addition to surcharges for increased jet fuel costs and war risks, the disruption to ocean routes has driven up demand for air freight space, causing a further jump in rates.

“Capacity is at a premium,” he said.

Tracey Chow, federal government affairs director for the Western Growers Association, said California vegetable growers lost business in Asia in recent years due to a decline in shipping reliability.

“Obviously, this doesn’t make it any better,” Chow said, adding that shipping disruptions could impact not only immediate sales but result in the long-term loss of market share in affected regions.

Fuel and fertilizer 

Industry experts said that while export market disruptions are significant, the most direct impact of the war for farmers has likely been the soaring cost of inputs.

About half the global supply of urea, the most common nitrogen fertilizer used on farms, is shipped through the Strait of Hormuz. Since the war started, prices had increased 25%, according to an analysis by the American Farm Bureau Federation.

AFBF economist Faith Parum said shocks to the fertilizer supply chain could impact planted acreage and crop yields.

Meanwhile, as of Monday, U.S. gasoline prices had risen more than 25% from a month prior, according to data from the AAA motor club.

Tulare County farmer Tom Barcellos, who owns a dairy, a trucking company and an excavator company, said increased fuel costs were an almost immediate financial hit for farmers.

“It’s not fun,” Barcellos said.

The Tipton-based farmer uses his heavy equipment to haul feed, clean irrigation reservoirs and provide other services for farms in the nation’s top dairy-producing county. He said last week that the moment he needs to refill his tanks at a higher price the cost of those services will increase.

“Of course, on the farming operation, I can’t pass anything on,” Barcellos said. “I’ve got to eat that just like every other farmer does.”

Caleb Hampton is an editor at Ag Alert. He can be reached at champton@cfbf.com.

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“This was a competitive process, but Trilby’s experience, determination, and willingness to take on a challenge made her the right person for this job,” said Supervisor Pete Vander Poel, chair of the Board of Trustees for the Cemetery District.

Barton is a fourth generation Tulare County farmer’s daughter with a bachelor’s degree in agriculture science from Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo. She has served as the District Manager for the Woodlake Public Cemetery District since 2022. Woodlake was awarded 2024 Cemetery of the Year by the Public Cemetery Alliance after Barton turned the cemetery into a functional and beautiful entity for the residents of Woodlake. In 2025, Barton worked as a consultant for the Exeter Public Cemetery District to streamline operations and helped the new superintendent/district manager establish their leadership role. Much of Barton’s special district experience comes after spending 14 years at an engineering and consulting firm where she established the public outreach service sector to work with special districts, water and irrigation districts, cities and other public agencies.

Barton has ties to the Tulare community where she has ridden horses at the Ward Ranch for more than 30 years and volunteered at World Ag Expo since 2008.

“I am humbled and honored with the opportunity to continue working with cemetery staff and the community the district serves,” said Barton. “We have made great strides since the Fall, and my plan is to keep that momentum!”

The Tulare Public Cemetery District strives to provide respectful interment services and assist families with care and consideration in a dignified and pleasant atmosphere to the community we serve within the district and maintain our cemetery grounds. Learn more at https://www.tularecemetery.net/.

Located in the heart of the Central Valley, Tulare County sits in a geographically diverse region. There are a variety of opportunities for all-season outdoor recreation, and the County has a growing population of 479,112 and includes an area of 4,863 square miles. Mountain peaks of the Sierra Nevada range rise to more than 14,000 feet in its Eastern half, which is comprised primarily of public lands within the Sequoia National Park, National Forest, and the Mineral King, Golden Trout, and Domeland Wilderness areas. Meanwhile, the fertile valley floor in the Western half has allowed Tulare County to become the top producer of agricultural commodities in the United States. Learn more at www.tularecounty.ca.gov.

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