Rivas was elected in November 2024 to represent District 3.

“Every elected official and public employee who makes or influences governmental decisions is required to submit a Statement of Economic Interest, also known as the Form 700,” the FPPC’s website states.

Elected officials list their economic interests such as real estate in Schedule B on the 700 Form.

FPPC rules state that elected officials “must report interests in real property located in your agency’s jurisdiction in which you, your spouse or registered domestic partner, or your dependent children had a direct, indirect, or beneficial interest totaling $2,000 or more any time during the reporting period. Real property is also considered to be ‘within the jurisdiction’ of a local government agency if the property or any part of it is located within two miles outside the boundaries of the jurisdiction.”

Rivas owns a home in Porterville on San Lucia — and 1.45 miles from the boundary of District 3 — worth approximately $330,000.

Rivas declared under penalty of perjury on his form 700 that he had no economic interest in District 3 or within 2 miles of District 3. But his wife, friends, business associates and property records all confirm he does own the house in District 2.

Even after being made aware that he had to disclose his home to the FPPC, Rivas did not amend his Form 700.

At the December 16 Porterville City Council meeting, Neeley gave Rivas a packet that instructed how he could amend his 700 form.

“That’s a Form 700 packet. You are required on Schedule B to list your property on San Lucia. It’s not listed,” Neeley said.

“I am giving you 15 days to amend that. If in 15 days I don’t see an amended one posted I am filing a complaint with the FPPC. It is probably going to cost you $5000 and your seat.”

Cole Smith, an investigator for the FPPC, said Rivas was informed of the complaint five days after their office received it and that the complaint was still under review.

He stated the penalty for perjury on Form 700 can range from $5000 per offense to just a warning, depending on the violation and prior offenses.

Rivas neglected to list his house on two Form 700s for 2024 and 2025, but Smith was not clear if that counted as two violations.

Rivas’ possible justification for not declaring his house might stem from the fact that elected officials are not required to declare their personal residences. The FPPC website states officials are not required to report “a residence, such as a home or vacation cabin, used exclusively as a personal residence.”

Greg Shelton, a close associate of Rivas, called the Valley Voice last December and said Rivas did in fact live with his wife on San Lucia Ave in District 2.

The Voice reached out to Rivas by phone and email but he did not respond.

According to the California code 36502, an elected official that does not live in the city limits or the district one represents during the term causes an immediate vacancy of their seat.

The Voice reached out to the Tulare County Districts Attorney’s office to inquire if they were investigating allegations that Rivas was not truthful in stating his residence in order to run for a district 3, which is a crime.

“As is our longstanding policy, we do not discuss whether an investigation is proceeding or not. Often, matters of election integrity are handled by the Secretary of State or the Fair Political Practices Commission, which then refers to the California Attorney General,” Stuart Anderson, Communication Director for the Tulare County District Attorney’s Office, said.

But if Rivas did mislead officials about his residential address, he may have found a loophole in the system. The Secretary of State and FPPC do not have an investigative arm to check if candidates or elected officials live where they say they do.

Michelle Baldwin from the Tulare County Registrar of voters said her office checks to see if the candidate is registered in the district in which they are running, but that they don’t have the resources to confirm if the candidate actually lives where they say they do.

Baldwin said it’s based on the honor system.

“We have to trust that the candidate is telling the truth.”

The post California FPPC complaint filed against Porterville councilmember AJ Rivas appeared first on Valley Voice.

At the December 16, 2025 City Council meeting, City staff presented an informational update outlining plans to close the Emergency Shelter in mid-January, consistent with prior Council direction but after further discussion, postponed the closure which has now been set to the end of February.

In preparation for the anticipated closure, City staff explored opportunities to secure external funding to extend shelter operations beyond the current fiscal year. This review included an evaluation of Behavioral Health Bridge Housing (BHBH) funding and consultation with county staff familiar with the program. After assessing eligibility and program requirements, it was determined that the Armory was not an appropriate or cost-effective candidate for BHBH funding. Factors included the Armory’s temporary layout, lack of designated year-round beds, and the substantial capital and operational investments that would be required to convert the facility into a compliant bridge housing site. As a result, no feasible or sustainable external funding source was identified to continue Armory operations beyond the budgeted period.

As the closure approaches, the City is actively transitioning individuals through its Family Reunification Program. This program assists eligible individuals in reconnecting with confirmed family support systems, reducing reliance on congregate emergency shelter while promoting longer-term housing stability when reunification can be safely achieved.

In addition to local shelter planning, recent federal housing policy developments are presenting challenges for regional service providers. Local housing partners have indicated that federal funding competitions this year may not recommend renewal of Porterville-based Housing First Permanent Supportive Housing (PSH) programs. These programs currently serve residents with disabilities who may be at risk of returning to homelessness if funding is reduced.

At the same time, federal guidance is encouraging a shift away from PSH toward Transitional Housing (TH) models, which require structured programming and mandatory participation in services and work-related activities. These requirements differ significantly from the Housing First approach used by the City and its partners and limit the City’s ability to provide matching or supplemental funding. Local providers also face limited time and resources to redesign existing PSH programs to meet TH requirements.

If federal funding is not secured, Porterville residents may experience reduced access to supportive housing options at the same time the Armory Emergency Shelter is closing.

City staff will continue to monitor regional and federal developments and will coordinate closely with local service agencies and Tulare County to support individuals impacted by these changes. The City remains committed to working collaboratively with community partners to pursue sustainable housing solutions and provide support to residents in need.

The post Porterville Armory emergency shelter closing at the end of February appeared first on Valley Voice.

I am rejecting the baseless residency attacks published by Our Valley Voice, anonymously and inaccurately. Their claim that I don’t live in my district — or that I committed fraud on my candidacy paperwork — is outright false.

Everything they’re shouting about was reviewed and approved by the California Secretary of State months before ballots were ever printed. Printing my home addresses doesn’t indicate wrongdoing. It only puts my family at risk by telling dangerous people where my kids sleep.

Before I ran, I confirmed my registration with the Secretary of State’s Elections Division. My residence inside District 3 is active, valid, and fully vetted through VoteCal. I maintain two locations in Porterville for one reason: safety. As a former gang-unit corrections officer who has received death threats, the law allows me to protect my family. Newspapers don’t get to rewrite that.

While they manufacture outrage, I’ve been focused on doing the work District 3 elected me to do. My track record speaks for itself:

• Transformed the River Parkway into a safe, lit, family-friendly walkway.
• Cleared zoning barriers so Papa’s Restaurant, Elevated Barbershop, Hawaiian BBQ, and Casino hotel could open or expand.
• Called for line-item budget reports and discovered $13,000,000 unfunded liabilities. Approved a balance budget plan to account for all city expenses, moving forward.
• Pushed for the Buildout of the Westwood/190 round-about to end constant traffic jams.
• Cut government friction which allowed the building of the Chevron project, next to RJ Meat Locker.
• Rewrote the sign code — to reduce government restrictions on local businesses.
• Chaired the Airport Advisory Committee — saved the hangars, stabilized the budget, kept pilots in Porterville.
• Repaved and widened major roads — Plano, Date, Olive — ending the pothole roulette residents dealt with for years.
• Redesigned the alternate bus routes linking the college and Family HealthCare Network, boosting ridership and unlocking future program funding.

District 3 isn’t a headline factory. It’s a neighborhood that needed fixing and that’s exactly what I’ve been doing. I’m still negotiating new mixed-use housing projects, still pushing development, still delivering results.

No resignation. No retreat. Just results.

Editor’s note: Former Porterville City Council member and close associate to Rivas, Greg Shelton, confirmed twice during a phone call on December 1, 2025  to the editor of the Valley Voice that Rivas lives in District 2. The source was not anonymous. Also, the Valley Voice did not publish Rivas’ home address nor that of his daughter’s.

The post Porterville City Council member Rivas says he will not resign appeared first on Valley Voice.

Concerned Porterville residents claim that when Rivas filed to run for city council last year in District 3, it was widely known that he actually lived in District 2 on San Lucia Ave. Those people who have spoken to the Valley Voice have asked to remain anonymous out of fear of retaliation.

According to property records, Rivas and his wife Alice have owned their home on San Lucia in District 2 for decades. Their daughter, Adrianna, owns a home on Date Street in District 3.

District 2 is represented by Mayor Greg Meister, and was not up for election in 2024.

Rivas beat challenger Timothy Vanni in the November 2024 election for District 3 by only 5 votes, according to Ballotopedia.

A candidate has to live in the district they represent – not just visit

On Sunday, November 30, this reporter knocked on the door of Rivas’ home on San Lucia.

His wife Alice Rivas answered and, upon opening, I asked if AJ was home.

Alice said that AJ lives on Date Street, in his district. I then identified myself as from the Valley Voice and asked if he owned the home. Alice said she and AJ own the home but that he lived with his daughter on Date Street in his district.

The next day, December 1, former Porterville City Council member Greg Shelton called sounding annoyed.

“AJ wants to know why someone from the Valley Voice went to where he lived,” he said. Shelton and Rivas are close associates.

I responded that I went to Rivas’ house because his constituents had reason to believe that he did not live in his district.

Shelton confirmed that AJ did in fact live with his wife on San Lucia Ave. I informed Shelton that San Lucia is in District 2 which disqualifies Rivas from serving in District 3. Shelton responded by saying some people have multiple homes, and that what defines residency is where a person is registered to vote.

Not so, says Tulare County Registrar of Voters, Michelle Baldwin.

Baldwin said that to qualify to run in a city council district, the candidate has to be registered in that district and live in the district for which they are running.

Baldwin said that Rivas changed his voter registration in May of 2024. She could not reveal the address but it is known that Rivas changed his registration address from his home on San Lucia to that of his daughter’s home on W. Date Ave located in District 3.

“It says right on the City of Porterville’s election website,” Baldwin said, “in order to be eligible to hold any elective office, city council members elected to represent a district must reside in that district and be a registered voter in that district.  Further, any candidate for City Council must reside in, and be a registered voter in, the district in which they seek election at the time nomination papers are issued.”

When asked for the official definition of living in the district, Baldwin said, “living in the district.”

She said the registrar’s office checks to see if the candidate is registered in the district in which they are running, but that they don’t have the resources to confirm if the candidate actually lives where they say they do.

According to a local lawyer who specializes in elections, it is against the law to register to vote at an address that is not your home.

“A voter can’t just visit a residence, no matter how often, and then change their registration to that address,” he said.

Candidates also verify their residence on Form 501, “Candidate Intention Statement.”

According to the Fair Political Practices Commission, “The verification is signed under penalty of perjury.”

Baldwin said it’s the honor system. “We have to trust that the candidate is telling the truth.”

“Just resign”

According to California Code, Government Code – GOV § 1770 “An office becomes vacant on the happening of any of the following events before the expiration of the term:
“(e) His or her ceasing to be an inhabitant of the state, or if the office be local and one for which local residence is required by law, of the district, county, or city for which the officer was chosen or appointed, or within which the duties of his or her office are required to be discharged.”

According to a voting rights lawyer if a city council person has moved out of their district the seat is vacant.

“In general that’s how the law works,” they said.

“Saying you live in a district when you don’t – that’s a crime.” The lawyer added “people get prosecuted all over the state for that.”

John Sarsfield of the Law Offices of Melo and Sarsfield said about the Rivas case, “the voters deserve someone who lives in their district.”

“He should just get ahead of this thing and resign,” said Sarsfield. “It’s messy.”

Why did it take a year for someone to knock on his door?

A community member active in Porterville politics who requested to stay anonymous, said no one from Porterville knocked on Rivas’ door because the locals are afraid of retribution.

“The people in power are bullies,” she said.

They chased out former city council member Monte Reyes, she said.

“The other city council members made him so miserable he resigned for health reasons. It was horrible.”

The Valley Voice reached out to Rivas by phone and email multiple times but he did not respond.

The post Doubts surface over Porterville City Councilmember AJ Rivas’ district residency appeared first on Valley Voice.

The City of Porterville is proud to continue the tradition of sponsoring the Porterville Chamber of Commerce’s “First Friday Coffee” event on Friday, December 5, 2025, beginning at 7:00 AM. The event will be held at the Galaxy Theatre, located at 631 N. Indiana St., Porterville, CA.

Mayor Greg Meister will deliver the highly anticipated 2025 State of the City Address, offering updates on the City’s growth, achievements, and ongoing projects. This is a great opportunity for community members and local businesses to hear firsthand about the City’s recent progress and future initiatives.

In addition to the State of the City Address, the City will recognize its 2025 Outstanding Business Honorees: ITC Security Systems, Valley Strong Credit Union and Calico Mermaid Fabric & Quilt, celebrating their contributions to the Porterville community.

The First Friday Coffee event provides an excellent opportunity for attendees to network with local business owners, city officials, and fellow community members. It’s a perfect chance to stay informed and receive the latest information from the City of Porterville.

Information about the Porterville Chamber’s First Friday event series can be found at www.portervillechamber.org/first-friday-coffee/. For questions about the State of the City Address event, please contact the City of Porterville’s Economic Development Division by email at EcDev@ci.porterville.ca.us or by phone at 559-782-7460.

The post City of Porterville to Host 2025 State of The City Address at Porterville Chamber’s First Friday Coffee for December appeared first on Valley Voice.

A press release from the City of Porterville

The City of Porterville is pleased to announce that Bobby Rader was sworn in by Mayor Greg Meister on November 14, 2025, as the Interim Chief of Police for the Porterville Police Department. Chief Rader brings more than 16 years of law enforcement experience, including previous service at the rank of Captain with the Tulare County Sheriff’s Office.

“Our community has seen real progress. Violent crime is down and we have not had a homicide in more than two years,” Mayor Greg Meister said. “That success reflects the dedication of our officers and the strength of our community. I look forward to Chief Rader continuing this positive momentum and implementing the City’s family reunification program, which will support our efforts to address homelessness through effective solutions. Public safety and community well- being must remain at the forefront of everything we do.”

Chief Rader expressed gratitude for the opportunity to lead the department and for the support he has received from City leadership. “It is an honor to serve the residents of Porterville during this period of transition, and I appreciate the support of the Mayor, City Council, and City Administration,” Chief Rader said. “My focus is on supporting our officers, assessing the needs of the department, and demanding excellence in every aspect of our work. The community deserves a police department that is responsive, disciplined, and committed to service. I am committed to elevating this department into one of the most outstanding law enforcement agencies in the Central Valley, and I look forward to working closely with our personnel, the county, and neighboring police departments to advance that vision.”

City Manager Rich Tree emphasized the City’s commitment to strong leadership and continuous improvement. “We are in a season of change and this is an opportunity for the Porterville Police Department to continue improving the way we serve our community. I have full confidence in Chief Rader to guide the department with a strong focus on measurable results, consistent performance, and steady leadership. Our commitment to continuous improvement remains at the center of everything we do and Chief Rader will help us move forward with clarity and purpose.”

The City looks forward to supporting Interim Chief Rader as he leads the department and continues building a culture of service, accountability, and public trust.

The post CITY OF PORTERVILLE ANNOUNCES APPOINTMENT OF INTERIM CHIEF OF POLICE BOBBY RADER appeared first on Valley Voice.

On October 17, Porterville Assistant Police Chief Dominic Barteau sent out a department wide memo saying, “Chief Castellow will be on medical leave for an undetermined period of time. To ensure continuity of operations I will be assuming the responsibilities of Chief of Police until his return.”

On November 4, Captain Joshua Maniss sent out another department memo saying, “Assistant Chief Barteau, who was acting in the capacity of Chief of Police, will be on medical leave for an undetermined amount of time. To ensure continuity of operations I will be assuming the responsibilities of Chief of Police until his return.”

Later that day, newly acting Police Chief Maniss, sent out a memo, “As many of you have heard, the rumor was that the city will be appointing an acting Chief of Police for the Police Department. I have spoken with the city manager and I am here to confirm this information is factual, which will be effective this month the 16 of November.”

Maniss continued, “The new acting Chief of Police will be Bobby [Rader], who currently serves as a captain with the Tulare County Sheriff’s Office.”

Two former Porterville Police Department employees, who asked to remain anonymous for fear of retaliation, claimed that Castellow and Barteau have left the police department on stress leave and that a department wide meeting was held today, November 7, to confirm the details.

Both sources speculated that a September 19 Valley Voice article detailing sexual harassment, retaliation, and racial discrimination, contributed to Barteau and Castellow’s decision to take leave.

One source, who referred to themselves as Sandy, said that Barteau and Castellow are at-will employees, and a source close to the city administration allegedly said there won’t be a job waiting for either of them when they are ready to come back.

According to Sandy, both men will most likely have to medically retire.

The other former officer, who refers to themselves as Rowan, said they were doubtful about whether Castellow’s or Barteau’s medical conditions were legitimate.

“The administration will probably let Jake retire because they don’t want more controversy with all the other stuff going on in the city.”

Rowen added that Lieutenant Mark Acevedo was promoted to Captain within the last few months, but when Barteau and Castellow got wind of changes happening inside the city, Acevedo was demoted back to Lieutenant. Captains are also at-will employees that can be let go  for any reason.

Acevedo was part of the “Old Boys” club described in the September 19 Valley Voice article.

Sandy said, “I was blown away when I heard they were taking stress leave. It’s laughable because when anyone else wanted to take medical or stress leave, Barteau and Castellow made their lives miserable.”

Rowen agreed, “be very careful if you want to take sick time because Jake and Dominic will make your life a living hell.”

At one point, Castellow and Barteau allegedly didn’t approve of who Rowen was dating and “launched an investigation into his misuse of sick time,” even though Rowen was under a doctor’s care.

Sandy said, “They made it impossible to leave, then impossible to come back to work if that makes any sense.”

Sandy claimed that even when a fellow police officer was injured in a car crash, Barteau and Castellow made it almost impossible for that officer to go on medical leave. Then, when the injured officer came back, they allegedly had a full work load “and from then on that officer’s had a target on their back.”

Barteau and Castellow’s tactic after an officer managed to go on medical leave was then to hype up a policy violation and get that officer fired, Sandy claimed.

“That’s why it’s so mind blowing that now both of them are on stress leave,” said Sandy.

Rowen said “I know by personal experience that they were doing the same policy violations that they disciplined or fired other officers for.”

Rowen said that he believed Barteau and Castellow would put officers under surveillance when they were on medical leave.

“This happened to numerous officers. They are notorious. Barteau and Castellow will go after you,” said Rowen.

The post Porterville Police Department Chief, Assistant on stress leave appeared first on Valley Voice.

The Porterville City Council is one step closer to funding lawsuits by residents against the State of California after voting to bring a new “Individual Liberty” ordinance back to a future meeting. While the ordinance lays out a number of hot-button social and political issues that council members want to take a stand on, it doesn’t focus on one issue in particular, and punts the parameters of the lawsuit funding program to a future meeting.

The “Commitment to the Principles of Individual Liberty” ordinance, approved with a 4-1 vote on Tuesday, October 21, sets out a series of commitments by the City of Porterville and would create a “legal defense assistance program and fund” that residents could tap into.

The ordinance states the “scope and requirements of the [legal assistance] program shall be set forth by Resolution of the City Council,” though no guidelines have been discussed yet.

It combines themes from two prior proposals in February and March: a “Parental Rights in Education” ordinance, which would have required schools to tell parents if their children requested pronouns different from their sex at birth, and a “Protect Women’s Safe Spaces” ordinance, which would have made it unlawful for someone to use a bathroom, locker room, or other “private facility” that does not match with their sex at birth.

The new ordinance also states that the City of Porterville would uphold specific commitments, without any specific penalties or requirements placed upon schools or businesses in Porterville. Those commitments include:

• That the City of Porterville “will not engage in illegal discrimination against individuals based on their vaccination or medical status, and will respect the privacy of individuals’ medical information,”
• That the City of Porterville “shall not follow or enforce executive or administrative directives that have been determined to unlawfully infringe upon constitutionally protected rights,”
• That the Porterville City Council “affirms its commitment that City residents, to the fullest extent required by the Federal and State Constitutions, are entitled to be made aware of information and matters related to their minor children’s health and education, including all physical health matters, educational curriculum, or sexual and/or gender orientation, identity or expression,”
• That the Porterville City Council “affirms its commitment that City residents, to the fullest extent provided for by the State and Federal Constitution, are entitled to legal protections against discrimination, including discrimination based on sex, and women are entitled to equal educational opportunities and safe private environments in order to minimize the risk of sexual harassment and violence.”

Public comment

“I don’t think that our children should grow up going into restrooms or stuff like that and a man walks in on them or vice-versa. I think that liberties should be protected, medical freedoms should be protected, and parents’ rights should be given back to them,” Darin Garrett, a Porterville resident said.

Garrett also noted the controversy around the ordinance, and said that those who came up to speak on the issue should speak respectfully to the councilmembers and represent Porterville with “love, kindness, peace and forgiveness.”

“I just can’t comprehend we’re even discussing this where I’ve got to worry about my two little granddaughters and a man walking in on them, so I just want to encourage you guys to do the right thing,” Rick Sullins said.

Diane Wagner spoke to oppose the ordinance.

“This is about politics. It’s about an attempt to legalize discrimination and fund it with public dollars. It’s about inserting the government and the extreme views of some of our city leaders into classrooms, businesses, and bathrooms,” Wagner said. “This ordinance is about control – control over what other people’s children can learn, how teachers can teach, and even how individuals can live or express themselves.”

Karen Anderson spoke to remind the council of “their responsibility to represent everyone in this community.”

“Not just those who look like you, think like you, worship like you, and vote like you – but everyone,” Anderson said. “Public office is not about advancing personal ideology and rewarding political allies.”

Council discussion includes dissent

Porterville Mayor Greg Meister, opening the discussion on the ordinance, called it “very exciting.”

He drew parallels between this ordinance and sanctuary city ordinances in larger areas of the state, saying the council is “following their lead,” only focusing on “addressing constitutional issues and protecting constitutional rights” instead of immigration policy.

“There’s already a precedent set that holds standards like this, where you have cities like LA – who is a charter city as well – and they use the same structure to protect illegal immigrants,” Meister said. “And you can go to the City of San Francisco or the County of San Diego who have structures like this to protect what they feel is their constituents.”

(Los Angeles, San Diego County, and San Francisco do have ordinances prohibiting municipal resources being used to assist immigration enforcement officials, but they do not provide funding for citizens to sue over immigration policies.)

Council member AJ Rivas said he didn’t understand “what people were so afraid of” around the ordinance.

“It’s real simple. It’s not violating anybody’s rights,” Rivas said. “This protects everybody.”

Meister added that California lawmakers continue to “violate” parental rights and “intrude into constitutionally protected rights,” and that critics might not “see the bigger picture.”

“There will be attorney groups that do pro bono work – and the city is not taking the stance,” Meister said. “It is the constituent that would be suing the state – the city is only helping direct [lawsuits].”

Councilmember Raymond Beltran spoke against the idea of a legal assistance fund. He said that while he’d signed on to a prior parental rights proclamation, this ordinance could open a “pandora’s box.”

“Going down this road just enables in four years, in six years or eight years, when council turns over at some point – people come with their agenda and say we’re a sanctuary city, or something that might be opposed to some of the council members that sit up here now,” Beltran said.

“We’re going to create this fund of money we don’t have so that people can then just say, hey, I want to sue because I don’t believe in this. We can’t pick and choose what constituents come and want to sue the federal government,” Beltran said. “Maybe somebody wants to sue the federal government over immigration, and we’re gonna have to allow that. I don’t think that’s what the taxpayers paid us to come up here to say: ‘Hey, let’s put some of our community needs aside because I don’t like what the state or federal government are doing.’”

“To really jump into this because ‘I want to be bold,’ ‘I want to make a statement,’ – I want to build our damn library, I want to figure out our wastewater treatment center. Those are things I was elected to deal with – not this. I signed on [a parental rights] proclamation, I’ll do that ten times out of ten,” he said. “Let’s stay in our lane, where it’s important to our taxpayers.”

Ed McKervey, an ardent advocate for this ordinance and the prior “Parental Rights” and “Women’s Safe Spaces” ordinances, responded with a look back to the impact of COVID restrictions on the City of Porterville.

“When we mandated these things in COVID in the city, people lost their livelihoods. Churches went out of business, because of the policies of the city and the policies of the state. We’re not gonna do that again,” McKervey said. “COVID decimated a lot of cities – and they gave us $20m in ARPA funds, and we wasted them, and we could have built a library, and we didn’t.”

“This is a really good thing to do to stand on the principles of the constitution and individual liberty, and we have a duty to protect every citizen in our city, and we work on it all the time with our police and our fire, this is an extension of that because the people are being put in positions and they shouldn’t be put in, and they’ve lost their livelihood as a result, and it’s created division,” McKervey said. “And you need to stand on principle for our people, and not on the politics of this.”

Meister, following after McKervey, rejected the idea of the city council “staying in [its] line,” stating that the citizens of California had “complied into tyranny.”

Council members ultimately voted to have city staff change some parts of the ordinance, including formatting and spelling fixes, and to bring it back for a first reading.

Before his vote, Meister hit back at those who said the city should focus on other priorities, like rebuilding its library.

“Political theater is real,” Meister said. “When you have someone coming up here and saying, ‘I want to build the damn library!’ like they’re hard, we haven’t even settled on the lawsuit. We have a grant fund – we don’t have the funds to build the library today. We don’t have them.”

“You cannot build the library today. It’s political theater, and it’s really disappointing,” he added.

The post Porterville council votes to move forward with new “individual liberty” ordinance appeared first on Valley Voice.

Michael Martins, the former deputy, pleaded not guilty at his arraignment on September 22.

Sergeant Tried to Destroy Evidence, Report Says

A statement of probable cause filed April 4, 2025 with the District Attorney’s Office alleges former Tulare County deputy Michael Martins admitted attempting to film a female officer of the Porterville Police in a state of partial undress when she visited a staff bathroom at the Porterville South Valley Detention Facility where Martins worked

The alleged victim is identified as PM in court documents. Martins is also said to have admitted trying to destroy evidence of the crime.

According to officials with the sheriff’s office, Martins resigned from his position within hours of being accused and is no longer employed by the county.

“In March 2025, Martins, an employee of the Tulare County Sheriff’s Office, resigned during an investigation into allegations that he placed a recording device in a staff restroom accessible only to TCSO and other law enforcement personnel,” TCSO spokesperson Ashley Richie said via a text message. “The case was investigated and subsequently referred to the Tulare County District Attorney’s Office for review of potential criminal allegations.”

The incident took place on March 27, and the TCSO report to the District Attorney’s Office is dated eight days later on April 4.

Martins was notified by mail four months after that two charges were filed against him in Tulare County Superior Court by the DA’s office. A letter dated August 21 stated Martins faced a pair of misdemeanor charges: unauthorized invasion of privacy, and destroying or concealing evidence.

Martins pleaded not guilty in an arraignment on September 22. An upcoming court date for a pretrial conference is scheduled for October 27 at 8:30am in Department 15 of the South County Justice Center in Porterville.

Secret Camera Hidden in USB Charging Device

An investigator’s report signed by TCSO Deputy Gregory May described the events that allegedly took place at the detention center on March 27.

May’s report said PM, the Porterville officer and Martins’ alleged victim, was at the South County Detention Center that day to book an arrestee into the facility. While she waited for a warrant from another jurisdiction to arrive, PM remained in the facility’s Intake Office. There, she entered a single-occupant unisex staff bathroom, and noticed what looked like an unused USB charger plugged into a wall socket.

“She saw what appeared to be a lens near the USB port,” May wrote. “She unplugged the device and exited the bathroom. She confronted the on-duty sergeant, Michael Martins, regarding the device.”

Martins took the device into his office.

“Martins entered the sergeant’s office and was alone with the device for approximately one minute,” May wrote. “Officer (redacted) later learned the device had a slot for a memory card. At that time, it did not contain a memory card.”

Investigators say sergeant admitted guilt

A review of security video by detectives revealed Martins entered the bathroom briefly about one minute before the alleged victim entered it.

“He enters the bathroom for only a few seconds before he walks away from the door,” May’s report stated. “While she (PM) is in the bathroom, Michael Martins is seen passing by the bathroom door more than once.”

Another TCSO officer, identified in the report only as Deputy Duran, said he used the same restroom earlier in the day and did not see the recording device at that time. Nothing, he told investigators, was in the socket.

Martins, however, later admitted placing the spy device then later removing the memory card when confronted, May’s report states. Martins later attempted to destroy the card, the report said.

“Martins was later interviewed and ultimately admitted to placing the hidden camera in the bathroom,” May wrote. “He said he broke the memory card and threw the memory card on the ground prior to returning to the South County Detention Facility and placing the device in evidence.”

May concluded that Martins targeted the female officer.

“Based on the video and statements from the parties involved, Michael Martins placed the hidden camera in the facility’s bathroom with the intent to secretly video tape Officer (redacted) while she was disrobed and as she used the bathroom.”

Martins resigned from the Tulare County Sheriff’s Office during the investigation.

TCSO condemns former sergeant’s alleged wrongdoing

The TCSO’s official statement on the behavior of Martins condemns his alleged illegal behavior.

“This conduct was reprehensible and does not reflect our core values of integrity, honesty, and respect for the law,” the statement said. “The case was investigated and subsequently referred to the Tulare County District Attorney’s Office for review of potential criminal allegations.”

The device Martins apparently left in the bathroom was in place only a short while. The bathroom was reserved for staff members only, and not accessible by the public.

“Investigators reviewed surveillance footage and determined the device was in place for only a few minutes before being discovered,” the statement said. “Upon examination, it was found that the device did not contain an imaging chip.”

The statement did not mention that Martins allegedly removed the device’s storage chip before destroying it. TCSO said the Porterville officer was the only victim, and their statement reiterated that the public had no access to the area where the alleged crime took place.

“As soon as we learned of the device, we immediately initiated an investigation, which identified Martins entering the restricted area,” the TCSO statement said. “No members of the public were ever at risk, nor did any other personnel enter the area before the device was discovered.”

Martins also defendant in TCSO federal sexual harassment case

This is not the first time Martins has been accused of similar misconduct. A case currently pending in federal court accuses Martins and several other TCSO high-ranking officers of a wide variety of misconduct, including incidents of sexual harassment. The TCSO is also accused of maintaining a “law enforcement gang” among its deputies in that case.

In a prior Voice report about the lawsuit, Sheriff Mike Boudreaux strenuously denied those allegations.

“As the Sheriff of Tulare County, I take all claims of harassment or discrimination seriously and understand how they may impact those involved. That is why each claim of harassment or discrimination is sent to the Human Resources and Development Director for review and investigation, with which I provide my full cooperation,” Boudreaux told the Voice. “While I believe the factual allegations stated in the complaint are misleading, I am confident that a thorough review of the facts will demonstrate that I adhere to my commitment to maintaining a respectful and professional environment for everyone.”

Specifically, Martins is accused of viewing an inappropriate photo of another staff member during work hours. That incident allegedly took place in January 2022.

Martins is also accused of making unwelcome sexual comments to a fellow TCSO officer, Jordan Frick, in front of coworkers. He is also said to have shared an “inappropriate” photo of a female staff member with other officers while on duty. Frick was apparently the subject of the inappropriate photo.

Frick was demoted from sergeant to deputy in 2022 after an internal affairs investigation that accused her of using inappropriate language. The investigation was allegedly spearheaded by Sgt.  Marco Martinez and Martins, who are accused of previous inappropriate sexual advances toward her, the federal suit states.

In April, two of the TCSO officers named as defendants in the case – Martinez and Sgt. Gilbert Rodriguez – attempted to have the matter dismissed. The judge denied the motion, and the case is ongoing.

The post Former TCSO sergeant accused of filming female Porterville Police officer in jail bathroom appeared first on Valley Voice.

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