Documented by Kristina Mansfield
What happened: At Tuesday’s Madera County Board of Supervisors meeting, Community and Economic Development Deputy Director Jamie Bax said the county is now seeking public feedback on its housing sites inventory.
The inventory is a key component of its upcoming eight-year housing element update and helps ensure the county can accommodate future housing needs at all income levels.
It outlines specific sites that are suitable for different housing types, and maps are available for individual communities within Madera County, such as Bass Lake, Fairmead and North Fork.
Community members may review the inventory and provide feedback online here through Sept. 28.
The county has also re-released a housing needs survey, which will also close Sept. 28.
Figs fall from top crop: The 2022 Madera County Crop and Livestock Report is out now and shows that the county’s former top crop, figs, has fallen out of the top 10.
Agricultural Commissioner/Sealer Rusty Lantsberger presented the report and said the decline was simply due to supply and demand.
For 2022, the gross value of all ag production in the county was $1.9 billion, which is a decrease of $55 million or 2.69% in production from the prior year.
The report shows that almonds now hold the top crop spot, and alfalfa, hay and silage has moved up into the county’s top 10 crops.
Tax revenue increase: Treasurer-Tax Collector Tracy Kennedy said 61,000 tax bills have been mailed to Madera County residents, representing $254 million in revenue for the county — an increase of $26 million over last year.
Up next: The Madera County Board of Supervisors will meet again Oct. 3.