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 understand operational constraints.

Public commenters used the operations item and a separate public-comment period to raise multiple concerns:

- Contract and recordkeeping accuracy: Anna Lamone presented a pre-need contract and referenced Health and Safety Code §9064 on record keeping, asking the board whether she should trust the contract as accurate. Lamone said staff had refused to update a contract in the district’s records and asked the board to ensure pre-need contracts are corrected.

- Grounds and flags: Mary Cepeda submitted photos showing Flag Day display condition, mementos left by community members and buried headstones obscured by grass; she urged more consistent maintenance.

- Meeting location and bylaw compliance: A public speaker said the district’s bylaws and Government Code §54954(b) require regular meetings be held within district boundaries; the speaker argued the July 8 meeting location (2800 West Burrell) is outside the district office address listed in bylaws (900 East Kern Street) and urged trustees to hold meetings within the district unless legal exceptions apply.

- Financial transparency and audits: Multiple commenters (including Alberto Aguilar, Xavier Abala and Charlie Ramos) requested that the board make financial statements available to the public, complete outstanding audits, and reinstate or continue an audit/verification committee. Concerns included a prior board action to transfer restricted funds into operations and disagreements over June 2024 financial statements; one commenter said a $200,000 transfer had been made into the general fund and expressed concern about compliance.

- Plot buybacks and policy gaps: Commenters described an inconsistent buyback practice (public commenters said the district has bought back plots for about $2,000 while resale prices at Kern can range from $6,000 to $9,000) and asked the board to adopt a buyback policy clarifying who may sell plots back and what documentation is required. District staff explained historical practice and proposed a policy that would limit resale and require documentation for buybacks.

- Employee protections and harassment allegations: Several speakers, including Clara and trustees, said staff had experienced public harassment and that employee treatment should be handled off the dais and via appropriate procedures; the chair said harassment complaints would be investigated and addressed consistent with county personnel policies.

Trustees asked for specific follow-up. Supervisor McCarty (chair) and other trustees requested: posting or delivery of pending financial statements (staff said the 2023–24 audited statements were posted online and that 2024–25 statements would follow), a 90-day operational/financial assessment for the board, clearer policies on trustee compensation waivers (Clara said $100 for regular meetings and $25 for special meetings, with a waiver form available), and a policy on plot-buybacks to clarify documentation and limits.

Clara and staff also described the county’s PBQ (payment request) process by which the County Auditor places funds into the District’s Bank of Sierra operating account on a weekly basis to cover invoices; speakers asked staff to work with the County Auditor/Treasurer to ensure the district’s cash-flow and accounting procedures are reconciled.

Ending: Trustees took the operations overview as informational, requested the April meeting minutes be returned at the next meeting, and directed staff to return with financial statements, an operational assessment and draft policies (trustee compensation and plot-buyback rules). Members of the public asked for continued outreach and transparency.