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City Council
As the elected legislative body of the City of Visalia, the City Council has overall responsibility for the scope, direction, and financing of City services. The City Council, as the legislative body, establishes policy that is administered and implemented through full time staff under the Council-Manager form of government.
Would you like to connect with your City Council? Send them an email.
The Council is also responsible for establishing land use policies through the General Plan and zoning regulations. Visalia voters elect a 5-member Council to serve as the City's legislative and governing body. The members represent the City and their respective Districts, serve four-year terms and they select one member to serve as mayor and one to serve as vice-mayor. A general municipal election is held every two years in November, alternating between two and three positions each cycle.
The City of Visalia is comprised of five City Council Districts. The City moved to District elections in 2016, and the City adopted a new map in February 2022 after going through a redistricting process.
To view a PDF of the current City Council Districts, click here.
To view the interactive City Council Districts map, click here.
Your Visalia City Council
City of Visalia Council members are as follows:
- Mayor Brian Poochigian - District 3
- Vice Mayor Brett Taylor - District 2
- Council Member Steve Nelsen - District 5
- Council Member Liz Wynn - District 1
- Council Member Emmanuel Hernandez Soto - District 4
Questions? For more information, contact Michelle Nicholson, City of Visalia Chief Deputy City Clerk at 713-4512 or [email protected]. For information on the election process, or to see the list of city council seats for each district in each city and the beginning and ending term dates for each seat, visit the Tulare County Registrar of Voters online or contact them at 559-624-7300.
Additional Info
Form of Government - Under the Council-Manager form of government, the City Council provides policy direction to the City Manager, who is responsible for administering City operations. In setting policy, the Council works closely with citizen advisory commissions and committees, considers staff information and recommendations, and receives comments from the general public.
Charter of the City of Visalia - The City of Visalia is a Charter City, as opposed to a General Law City. The City Charter is a written document approved by the electorate and acts as a "constitution" for the city. Amendments, revisions and repeals of a charter are subject to the vote of the people.
Frequently Asked Questions - We understand that citizens have questions about the salaries of City staff, how Council members are compensated, along with other questions. Visit our page on City Salary Information.