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Tulare County approves modest increases to Agricultural Commissioner fee schedule
Summary
The Tulare County Board of Supervisors unanimously approved a revised fee schedule for the Agricultural Commissioner's Office for fiscal year 2025'26, raising several certificate and hourly inspection rates to cover rising costs and align with regional comparators.
TULARE COUNTY, Calif. ' The Tulare County Board of Supervisors voted unanimously April 30 to approve a revised fee schedule proposed by the Agricultural Commissioner's Office that raises several inspection and certificate fees effective for fiscal year 2025-26.
The increase aims to recover higher personnel and operating costs while keeping the county's rates broadly in line with neighboring counties, Assistant Agricultural Commissioner Christopher Greer said. "As a county department, we evaluate corresponding fees on an annual basis," Greer said during his presentation.
The adjustment raises the county's regular phytosanitary certificate fee to $75 and the high-intensity certificate fee to $125, with a proposed $25 quarantine compliance certificate (CQC) fee. Greer told the board the CQC fee had long been below cost; increasing it from a historical low will yield additional revenue. He said the overall proposal includes hourly rate changes (from $61 to $65) for services such as nursery and industrial hemp inspections, and modest registration increases for farm labor contractors and pest control businesses.
Why it matters: Tulare County is one of the state's largest agricultural exporters. Greer cited roughly 450,000 acres of permanent plantings, dozens of packing and processing facilities and large nursery acreage as reasons the county performs many phytosanitary inspections and certifications. He said neighboring counties often bundle inspection, travel and certificate charges into higher single fees, so the county's revised charges remain competitive regionally.
Board discussion was brief; no public opposition was recorded. The board chair moved approval and Supervisor Sheckley (mover) and Supervisor McCarty (second) cast the unanimous 5-0 vote to adopt the schedule.
What the board approved: a set of fee increases intended to move toward cost recovery (but not full cost recovery), including the revised phytosanitary, CQC and hourly rates. Greer said the changes were supported by outreach that included mailed postcards, emails, presentations to the Tulare County Farm Bureau, and California Citrus Mutual, and that staff received clarifying inquiries but no substantive objections.
The board recorded the action as a formal vote approving the Agricultural Commissioner's fiscal-year 2025-26 fee schedule; the increases take effect per the department's implementation timetable.
