District manager outlines operations as residents press for financial transparency and record corrections

At the July 8, 2025 meeting of the Tulare County Board of Supervisors sitting as the Tulare Public Cemetery District, District Manager Clara (introduced on the record by the chair) gave an operational overview and invited trustees and the public to inspect staff work and meet employees.

Clara said the district faces funding and staffing constraints across two cemetery properties (the Kern Street Cemetery and the North Cemetery). She told trustees that annual tax revenue averages roughly $222,000 over the last five years while insurance and maintenance costs alone totaled about $885,000 over the same period; she cited insurance at about $326,000 for the five-year span. She said those figures mean the district’s baseline revenue does not cover existing maintenance and insurance expenses without other adjustments.

Clara described equipment and staffing needs: the district operates with a limited grounds crew (she reported seven on staff plus one part-time/call-in worker and a temporary fill) and said heavier equipment (excavator/backhoe) sometimes must be transported between sites at approximately $300 per transport. She recommended trustees visit the cemeteries and meet the grounds crew to better…