My original Goals as published January 8, 2019.

1. Drive Firesafe Communities and Emergency Planning
2. Make Tuolumne County the Model for Healthy Forest Management
3. Enable the Next Generation to Thrive Here in Tuolumne County
4. Better Road Maintenance Practices Now
5. Stimulate Economic Growth with New Business Attraction
6. Address the (Affordable) Housing Shortage
7. Expand Broadband Internet Access
8. Cut Government Red Tape
9. Apply Common-Sense and Strive for Balanced Solutions
10. Drive Transparency in Government

Progress requires choices. It requires cutting where necessary, making sacrifices, and aligning the bureaucracy with the direction the people want to go. It requires priority-based budgeting and deciding what matters most and funding it accordingly. None of what follows below happened by accident.

Public safety is the number one obligation of government as enshrined in the California Constitution. Before I took office, that standard was not being met.

Law Enforcement

The Sheriff’s Office had been reduced to where beats along the Highway 108 and 120 corridors were not staffed. Since taking office, staffing has been rebuilt to levels not seen in decades:

• All patrol beats are fully staffed, including Highway 108, Pinecrest and the high-country
• A fully modernized 911 call center is nearly open
• Re-established the Tuolumne Narcotics Team (TNT), contributing to a 73% reduction in fentanyl deaths (26 to 7 in one year) – truly saving lives
• Restored School Resource Officers serving our youth to improve prevention and school safety
• The Homeless Accountability Team is working hand-in-hand with Health and Human Services to get people off the streets and back on their feet

“Supervisor Kirk’s yes-votes for safety have been instrumental in the restoration of vital services for the community such as: 911 Response, Narcotics Enforcement, School Resource and Homeless Accountability Team” – Sheriff David L. Vasquez

Fire Protection

My economic development plan for Tuolumne County is don’t burn down!  We live in a very-high risk fire area and before I was even in office, I worked with the previous Board of Supervisors to make Fire Protection the number one priority.  Since then, absolutely enormous strides have been made:

• Doubled the number of Fire Stations serving the county from two to four, even after SAFER grant funding ends
• Supporting CAL FIRE’s change in staffing from 2 fire fighters per engine to 3 (so called 3/0 model) in the 2026 contract renewal
• Expanded Office of Emergency Services (OES) staffing from half a position to four full positions
• Fire Safe Communities established in Tuolumne, Twain Harte, Mi-Wuk Village, Cold Springs, Pinecrest, and Strawberry, strengthening defensible space coordination, wildfire preparedness and mitigation
• Strengthened local vegetation management and wildfire safety standards by requiring defensible space and hazardous vegetation abatement
• Focused on roadside brushing and fuel reduction – where 90% of fires start
• Rehabilitated Mt. Provo Road as a critical emergency exit route (completed with private funding, not taxpayer dollars)
• Introduced fire warning sirens in Strawberry, Cold Springs and Groveland, to improve emergency alerts and evacuation readiness

Mt. Provo Road Evacuation Route Rehabilitation

Forest Management

We live in a very-high risk fire area and Forest Management is an integral part of catastrophic wildfire prevention and mitigation. Since I’ve been in office, we have made absolutely huge strides in improving our forest’s resiliency and made Tuolumne County a national model.

• Leveraged Master Stewardship Agreement (MSA) in to SERAL an SERAL 2.0 projects
• 260,000 acres of healthy forest restoration and wildfire resilience
• $94.6M secured in state and federal funding
• $37M invested locally since 2022
• Clearly visible progress along Highway 108 between Long Barn and Pinecrest and up past Bumblebee
• Developing strategy for sustainable funding, not dependent on grants

Roads

In an emergency roads are public safety, whether it be responding to a 911 call, or evacuating due to wildfire threat. Roads mater.

• Our local county roads have been declining for decades and ranked among the worst in California as measured by the Pavement Condition Index (PCI)
• We stopped the decline and reversed it by prioritizing road maintenance and dedicating resources:
  • Shifted county strategy to preventative maintenance to slow road failure
  • Prioritized ditching, roadside drainage, and culvert cleaning to protect road bases
  • Invested in cost-effective equipment: hot patch machine and masticator
  • Set aside funding for a chip seal machine (planned for 2026)
  • Hired a new Road Superintendent to improve oversight and accountability
• In 2025, I proposed redirecting a portion of Transient Occupancy Tax (TOT) revenues to long-term road repair and scheduling. The Board agreed in principle and directed staff to implement this in the next budget cycle.
   

Affordable Housing

• Adopted the 2018 General Plan, establishing clear policy direction for housing, growth, and land use
• Approved an Accessory Dwelling Unit (ADU) ordinance to expand attainable housing options
• Supported infill housing projects where infrastructure and services already exist
• Completed a comprehensive update to Title 17 zoning, aligning it with the General Plan and state housing law
• Approved flexible minimum lot sizes to help viable housing projects move forward
• Streamlined permitting through on-line OpenGov, reducing delays, red tape, and costs for residents and builders

Water

Regaining our water rights and leveraging our watershed for sustainable forest management are critical our future here in Tuolumne County, whether it be through keeping water rates from skyrocketing, or reducing the threat of catastrophic wildfire.

• PG&E water rights – PG&E offered Tuolumne County the opportunity to purchase pre-1914 water rights to our own water. I wholeheartedly support this. It is a long process, but if we don’t purchase those rights, they will go to some other profit-making entity who will raise prices beyond what is necessary.
• Tuolumne County Water Agency – worked with Supervisor Haff to reactivate this agency to ensure the County had a seat at the table on all water-related decisions
• WaterSMART grant –  $500,00 grant partnering with UC Merced to study the relationship between forest management, Studying the link between forest management, groundwater recharge and downstream water supply. This work recognizes that forest health and water security are inseparable. The work we do in the forest matters—not just for fire resilience, but for water reliability – and downstream users benefit from those efforts. The future of our forests is directly tied to the commitment of downstream water users to help support and sustain healthy, resilient forests.

Economic Development

Long term economic development is about building a sustainable community which enables future generations to thrive, proper and enjoy this incredible place. 

• Don’t burn down – enabling the next generation to thrive here starts with one fundamental truth: a county that burns down cannot grow. This is why Forest Management is so absolutely critical.
• Fire Insurance Premiums – all the progress we’ve made with Fire Protection and Prevention has been entirely ignored by the insurance industry, and the California Department of Insurance. I am in regular contact with the commissioner’s office and strongly advocate for changing the insurance models to reflect the reality here on the ground in Tuolumne County. I seize every opportunity to lobby our state legislators to effect change in this area.
• Broadband Internet Access – pushed for practical, results-driven solutions to rural broadband as opposed to endless studies. Publicly raised the option of immediate connectivity solutions (such as Starlink) during board discussions to highlight faster alternatives (faster is better than perfect)
• Local Jobs Beyond Tourism – I strongly support of Career Technical Education (CTE). CTE provides hands-on training and certifications which lead directly to local, year-round, good-paying jobs and helps keep young people here. Nearly 50% of local high school students are pursuing skilled-trade and technical career pathway.
• Sonora Pass openings – working directly with Caltrans, regional partners, and state legislators to establish earlier, more predictable and pre-determined opening date for this vital route in support of businesses along the Highway 108 corridor.
• Respect for Rural Communities & Affordability – Worked hard to Protected property owners and small businesses from unnecessary costs. Opposed Community Services Districts that impose taxes or assessments before development which create unfair tax burdens. Prevented policies that raise housing costs, discourage investment, and push families out.
  Through the draconian COVID lockdowns, fought to keep businesses open and defend constitutional rights — because if people can’t work here, they won’t live here.

Government Red Tape

We the people need the government to work for us and not the other way around.

• Voted against mandatory business licenses to protect small businesses
• Streamlined Community Development Department (CDD) processes, including online permitting
• Expanded administrative review to reduce delays, costs, and unnecessary hearings
• Reduced projects requiring Planning Commission review to those that truly need it
• Applied a standard of no regulation beyond state requirements
  Reset and phased in fee increases after listening to local businesses

Transparency

• Made transparency a core priority from day one
• I am the first supervisor to regularly publish blogs, issue summaries, and weekly Board updates
• Increased public access to county information through OpenGov
• Supported clear, accessible budgeting, resulting in award-winning budget presentations
• Encouraged open discussion, accountability, and public engagement