The Tulare County Board of Supervisors is the five-member elected body that runs county government, acting as legislature, executive, and land-use authority for the roughly 800 square miles of unincorporated Tulare County and setting policy for the county as a whole. Each supervisor represents one of five districts, serves a four-year term, and is elected only by voters in that district. Regular meetings are held Tuesdays at 9:00 a.m. at the Board of Supervisors Chambers in Visalia and are open to the public.1Tulare County. Board Meetings
Current Members
- District 1: Larry Micari
- District 2: Pete Vander Poel III
- District 3: Amy Shuklian (Chair)
- District 4: Eddie Valero
- District 5: Dennis Townsend (Vice-Chair)
The Chair and Vice-Chair positions rotate annually, chosen by the supervisors from among themselves at the start of each year. The Chair runs meetings and controls agenda flow, but every supervisor has equal voting power.2Tulare County. County Supervisors
If you are not sure which district you live in, the county website has an address lookup that identifies your supervisor and district.2Tulare County. County Supervisors
When and Where the Board Meets
Regular sessions are Tuesdays at 9:00 a.m. in the Board of Supervisors Chambers in Visalia, unless the posted schedule shows otherwise.1Tulare County. Board Meetings The Ralph M. Brown Act, California’s open-meeting law, requires these meetings to be open to the public.3California Legislative Information. California Government Code 54950
The agenda has to be posted at least 72 hours before a regular meeting, both at a physical location open to the public and on the county’s website in a searchable, downloadable format.4California Legislative Information. California Code Government Code 54954.2 Each agenda item carries a short description, usually 20 words or less, and any closed-session topics must be listed too. The 72-hour rule has teeth: a vote taken on an item that was not properly noticed can be voided.
The agenda also includes instructions for requesting disability accommodations such as sign language interpreters or alternative-format documents. Make the request in advance so the county has time to arrange services.4California Legislative Information. California Code Government Code 54954.2
How To Speak At A Meeting
Start with the agenda, posted on the county website and at the Clerk of the Board’s office. Find the item number you want to address; that is how the board tracks who is speaking to what.
At the meeting, pick up a speaker card, sometimes called a “Request to Speak” card, usually on a table near the entrance. Write in your name, the agenda item number, and a brief note on your position. Hand it to the Clerk of the Board before that item comes up. To speak about something not on the agenda, use the general public comment period and mark the card accordingly.
You get three minutes.5Tulare County. Board of Supervisors Public Comments Process That is not long. If your point is complicated, write it out first and lead with the key facts. Everything you say goes into the official minutes.
One limit worth knowing. When someone raises a topic during general public comment that is not on the agenda, the Brown Act bars the board from taking action on it at that meeting. Supervisors can listen, ask clarifying questions, and direct staff to look into the issue, but any formal vote has to wait for a future noticed agenda.
Written comments by email are also accepted. The Clerk of the Board’s office can give you the current email address and submission deadlines.
What The Board Decides
The board functions as a legislature when it passes county ordinances, as an executive branch when it adopts the annual budget and oversees departments, and in a quasi-judicial role when it hears appeals on zoning and permits. Unlike the state and federal governments, there is no separation of powers at the county level; all three functions sit with the same five people.
On the executive side, the board adopts the annual budget, supervises department heads, sets local tax and assessment rates, and oversees county infrastructure like roads and bridges. It also appoints the County Administrative Officer, who handles day-to-day operations and carries out board policy. For the unincorporated land that falls outside any city, the board is the final authority on zoning changes and development permits.
Elections, Terms, and Vacancies
California law requires every county to have a five-member board, and no more than three seats can be on the ballot at the same general election, so the board never turns over all at once.6California Legislative Information. California Code Government Code GOV 25000 Each supervisor serves a four-year term, must live in the district they represent, and is elected by that district’s voters rather than countywide.7California Legislative Information. California Code Government Code GOV 25040
State law lets counties impose term limits of no fewer than two terms, but any such limit has to be approved by voters at a regular election.6California Legislative Information. California Code Government Code GOV 25000
When a seat opens mid-term through resignation, death, or removal, the Governor of California fills the vacancy by appointment. The appointee serves until a successor is elected at the next general election.8Lassen County. How to Fill a Vacancy – Government Code 25060
District Lines and Redistricting
After every federal census, the board redraws its five district boundaries so each district contains a roughly equal share of the county’s population. California Elections Code Section 21500 requires the new boundaries to be “substantially equal in population” based on the most recent census.9Orange County Clerk of the Board. California Elections Code Section 21500-21509 The county ran its most recent cycle after the 2020 census, with public workshops in each of the five districts.10Code Publishing Company. Tulare County Code 1-01 – Board of Supervisors
Section 2 of the federal Voting Rights Act also constrains how lines are drawn, barring maps that dilute the voting power of racial or language minority groups. Packing minority voters into as few districts as possible, or splitting them across many districts so they never reach a majority, can both trigger legal challenges.11Redistricting CA. Basics of Redistricting
What Happens In Closed Session
Not every discussion is public. The Brown Act allows the board to meet behind closed doors on specific topics: negotiating real estate purchases or leases, discussing strategy in pending or anticipated litigation with county counsel, and evaluating employee performance or discipline. The general topic of any closed session must appear on the agenda in advance, and after returning to open session the board has to publicly report any action taken, such as approving a legal settlement.
The rules are narrow by design. Closed session cannot be used to discuss general policy, dodge a controversial public debate, or handle anything outside the statutory exceptions. Violations can lead to legal action to void the decision.