Board approves consent calendar, two-year appliance and tire disposal fee waiver trial and midyear budget schedule

The Tulare County Board of Supervisors on Tuesday approved several administrative and budget items without dissent, including the consent calendar, a two‑year pilot waiving landfill fees for residential appliance and tire disposal, a county designation for participation in a four‑county coordinating committee tied to a Central Valley energy and planning initiative, and the county’s midyear budget report and budget schedule for fiscal year 2025–26.

Consent calendar: The board approved items 5 through 26 unanimously. Supervisor Eddie Valero made the motion to approve the consent calendar with Supervisor Dennis Townsend seconding; the clerk recorded the vote as unanimous.

Appliance and tire fee waiver (Item 27): Bryce Howard, director of the Solid Waste Department, asked the board to temporarily waive appliance and tire fees at Tulare County landfill facilities from April 1, 2025, through March 31, 2027. Howard said the department observed illegal roadside dumping concentrated in three product categories — mattresses (already free), appliances and tires — and proposed the trial to see whether waiving fees would reduce illegal dumping. Under the trial: residential customers may bring up to two appliances per visit and up to four tires per visit at no charge; the waiver does not apply to commercial customers and is limited to Tulare County residents. The county enterprise fund will cover costs during the trial; Solid Waste will report back in a year on results. Supervisor Eddie Valero moved approval; Supervisor Dennis Townsend seconded. The board approved the waiver unanimously.

Four‑county coordinating committee (Item 28): Jason Bridal, county administrative officer, described a request to sign a joint letter with Fresno, Madera and Kings counties and to designate a board member to participate in a four‑county coordinating committee supporting the Sierra–San Joaquin (S2J2) joint initiative. The coordinating committee is intended to guide planning work on energy and land‑use opportunities in the region; CAO staff and Resource Management Agency (RMA) staff will also participate. The board approved a motion to have the CAO and staff continue participation and to bring a board member in when policy decisions are required. The motion (made by Supervisor Amy Shockley and seconded by Supervisor Mercari) passed unanimously.

Midyear budget report and schedule (Item 29): Jason Bridal presented the midyear budget report, which showed general fund revenue and expenditure trends, identified a modest softening in local sales tax (projected reduction of about $4 million), and recommended budgeting strategies for FY 2025–26 (including conservative revenue estimates, use of one‑time funds for one‑time capital needs, and continued emphasis on mandated programs and public safety). Bridal recommended adopting a rollover operating budget pending formal adoption of FY 2025–26 and set the county budget hearing date for Sept. 16, 2025. The board approved the midyear report, budget schedule and related personnel and capital asset resolutions by unanimous vote (motion by Supervisor Amy Shockley; second by Supervisor Eddie Valero).

Other district actions: The board briefly convened and approved budget schedule actions for subsidiary districts (Tarabella Sewer Maintenance District and Tulare County Flood Control District) as part of the midyear process; these passed without public comment or opposition.

All recorded motions passed 5–0. No ordinance changes or new ongoing county funding commitments were adopted at the meeting; where the board approved temporary programs (appliance/tire waiver), staff will return with a one‑year status report.