Cannabis Tax Break Extended to 2030 as Outgoing Chair Takes Parting Shots at Budget

The Calaveras County Board of Supervisors locked in a 60% cannabis cultivation tax reduction through 2030, adopted a county budget over the outgoing chair's sharp objections to fire district funding, and unanimously extended a moratorium on data center development — all in a meeting that showcased the tensions between fiscal caution and economic survival in a rural foothill county. Supervisor Benjamin Stopper, who is not returning to the board, used several agenda items to publicly criticize colleagues and fire district advocates, warning that the county's own workforce is being shortchanged.

• Cannabis cultivation tax cut extended through 2030 on a 4-1 vote; local growers say they can't compete without it
• County budget adopted 3-1-1 after outgoing Supervisor Stopper blasted fire district funding as irresponsible
• Data center moratorium extended unanimously, buying the county nearly another year to write permanent rules
• $400,000 in hotel tax funding approved for tourism groups over fraud allegations from a local watchdog publisher
• $3 million federal mental health grant application authorized to address justice-system behavioral health gaps
• County consolidates airport and waste management under Public Works, raising the director's pay

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The Chair's Exit Interview: Budget Passes 3-1-1 After Fire Funding Broadside

Supervisor Benjamin Stopper, who pulled the FY 2026-27 county budget from the consent agenda specifically to register his opposition, delivered what amounted to a parting critique of the board's spending priorities.

Why it matters: The budget fight centers on a core question for rural counties — whether limited general fund dollars should flow to fire districts that already have dedicated tax revenue, or stay with county departments struggling with frozen positions and unfilled ranks.

Where things stand: Stopper argued that fire districts are "far more flush" than county coffers because they benefit from a dedicated penny tax, and that reallocating general fund money to them comes at the direct expense of county employees. "I'm going to voice openly my discontent with irresponsibly moving that money towards fire when we haven't filled our ranks within the county fully. We still have positions that are frozen," said Supervisor Stopper, District 5.

He went further, accusing fire district advocates of ingratitude and political retaliation: "I haven't seen one email from them saying thank you for supporting us. They're saying they're going to openly campaign against every one of the supervisors as they come up for election in the future."

Decisions: The budget passed on a 3-1-1 roll-call vote. Supervisors Tofanelli (District 1), Andahl (District 2), and Huberty (District 3) voted yes. Chair Folendorf (District 4) abstained. Stopper voted no. As someone not returning to the board, Stopper said he had "nothing to lose" in making his objections public.

What's next: The fault line Stopper exposed — fire funding versus county staffing — will carry over to the next board's budget deliberations, where new members will face the same tradeoff without the cover of an outgoing colleague willing to absorb the political heat.

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Cannabis Tax Cut Locked In Through 2030 on 4-1 Vote

The board adopted an ordinance extending the existing 60% reduction of the voter-approved cannabis cultivation tax through Dec. 31, 2030 — three years beyond the current expiration — over the objection of one supervisor who argued the commitment was premature.

The basics: Calaveras County voters approved a cannabis cultivation tax, but the board has maintained a 60% reduction to keep local growers competitive. The current discount doesn't expire until December 2027. The ordinance required a four-fifths supermajority.

Why it matters: Cannabis operators in Calaveras say they are already uncompetitive. "We're not even competitive with our peer farmers in other counties. Zero percent seems to be what most rural counties are at for outdoor and mixed-light cultivation," said Mark Bolger, a cannabis farmer at Rimrock Farms.

The other side: Supervisor Gary Tofanelli, District 1, cast the lone no vote, arguing the board should wait. "We still have till next year that we could do this. So I'm going to wait at least till June, maybe July of next year to see where we're at," he said, citing unresolved budget pressures from earlier in the meeting. Tofanelli noted the current reduction has more than a year left and the board would be locking in a rate without fully understanding its fiscal impact.

Chief Building Official Doug Oliver reported that a cannabis industry working group is being assembled — 10 operators have been invited based on tax compliance history — and the county is surveying peer counties with similar demographics. Public commenter Marty Crane urged support, noting that "people that are in this industry now are part of our community. They are our friends, our neighbors. They are good people."

Decisions: The ordinance passed 4-1 on a roll-call vote. Supervisors Andahl, Huberty, Folendorf, and Stopper voted yes; Tofanelli voted no. The board can reverse the extension with another four-fifths vote if fiscal conditions change.

Stopper also polled all five supervisors on expediting Oliver's working group report — originally planned for March 2027 — and received unanimous agreement to accelerate the timeline.

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Data Center Moratorium Extended Unanimously

The board voted 5-0 to extend its moratorium on data center development for 10 months and 15 days, continuing a ban on accepting, processing, or approving any applications, permits, or entitlements for data center projects.

Why it matters: The urgency ordinance — which required a four-fifths supermajority — buys the county additional time to study the impacts of large-scale, energy-intensive facilities and draft permanent regulations. The moratorium was originally adopted Aug. 25, 2026.

Where things stand: Deputy County Counsel Jonathan Frost explained the legal mechanics: "It can be extended after this 10 months and 15 days. It can be extended for up to another year, for a total maximum of two years for an urgency ordinance."

Public commenter Marty Crane urged the board to pass the extension, recommending that supervisors visit communities impacted by battery energy storage incidents before allowing similar large-scale energy developments. Supervisor Stopper noted that a battery energy storage project referenced by a public commenter earlier in the meeting has "nothing like" the design of past incidents in its new plans.

Decisions: Passed 5-0 (For: Tofanelli, Andahl, Huberty, Folendorf, Stopper; Against: none).

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$400K in Tourism Funding Approved Over Watchdog Publisher's Objections

Two Turbulent Tourism Votes

The board approved a combined $400,000 in transient occupancy tax allocations to the Calaveras Chamber of Commerce ($50,000) and the Calaveras Visitors Bureau ($350,000), despite pointed criticism from Christopher Butner, publisher of calaveraswatchdog.com, who pulled both items from consent.

Why it matters: Butner has challenged these allocations for four consecutive years, arguing the county has no formal performance measures for the Chamber and that tourism spending has been flat since 2022.

Chamber ($50,000, approved 5-0): Butner argued the allocation is unjustified, stating that "growth in overall Calaveras County tourism spending has been flat since 2022" and that the county has "lost 350 tourism jobs between 2022 and 2025." Supervisor Stopper countered that the Chamber provides small-business training, particularly on the county's west side, filling a gap after a state grant was pulled. "There was a grant originally doing that, but the state did pull the grant, and this money is helping support new businesses getting trained by the Chamber of Commerce," Stopper said.

Visitors Bureau ($350,000, approved 4-0-1): Butner escalated his allegations on this item, claiming the CVB repeatedly ended fiscal years with over $500,000 in net assets while fire districts went underfunded. He said he has filed a criminal complaint with the Sheriff's Office. "My fellow citizens should be outraged by the conduct of their county government," Butner said, alleging "flagrant fraudulent misrepresentation and fiscal crimes perpetuated by the CVB's leadership." CEO Teresa Hitchcock confirmed the CVB posts its budget online — a transparency measure Stopper said he and former Supervisor Garamendi pushed for four to five years ago. Supervisor Huberty abstained; the remaining four supervisors voted yes.

What's next: No independent audit was ordered. The allegations remain unresolved. The county continues to fund both organizations without formal, measurable performance benchmarks.

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$3M Mental Health Grant Targets Justice System Gaps

Supervisor Stopper pulled this item from consent to spotlight the county's behavioral health challenges. The board authorized the Health and Human Services Agency to apply for up to $3 million from the Department of Justice's Bureau of Justice Assistance for a Justice Behavioral Health Collaborative.

Why it matters: Stopper noted that Calaveras County has a disproportionately high number of residents with mental illness — a pattern common to rural areas, partly because Health and Human Services agencies in larger counties direct people with mental health issues to rural communities with lower costs of living. The grant targets early intervention to prevent defendants from being declared incompetent to stand trial, a process that is expensive and backlogged statewide.

Public commenter Marty Crane supported the application, arguing that behavioral health and law enforcement must collaborate on distress calls and that the cost of failing to do so is "horrendous."

Decisions: Approved 5-0.

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Battery Storage Fears Surface During Public Comment

Bonnie Newman of Double Springs used general public comment to demand a moratorium on battery energy storage systems, comparing a proposed project near her community to the Moss Landing battery fire incident. Newman alleged that the developer, international company Nadara, has been working the county for over a year and accused local agencies of being swayed by anticipated revenue. "They got the school district paid off. They got the fire district paid off. They came here, and I guess you approved them. So you've been paid off by all this anticipated revenue," Newman said.

She referenced the Mintier-Harnish report, which she said recommends against unrestricted development. Supervisor Stopper responded later during the data center moratorium discussion, noting that the new battery project's plans differ significantly from past incidents and inviting both sides to visit the project site.

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Minor Items

• Consent agenda (remaining items excluding those pulled) approved 5-0.
• Closed session on labor negotiations with multiple employee associations and conference with legal counsel regarding Tressler v. County WCAB yielded no reportable action.
• National 4-H Week proclamation adopted 5-0 recognizing Oct. 4–10, 2026. Camden Protung, 17-year-old president of the Mountain Ranch 4-H Club, spoke about leadership skills gained through projects including goats, rabbits, knitting, and woodworking. A later presentation from UC Cooperative Extension highlighted 9 clubs, approximately 300 youth, and 60 volunteers across the county.
• County reorganization approved 5-0: airport and Integrated Waste Management consolidated under Public Works; the IWM Director position reclassified to Deputy Director for Administration; a building inspector position added; Public Access TV Manager retitled to Calaveras County Media Manager; Public Works Director salary raised from range 407 to 410. Supervisor Stopper cautioned the board to monitor the director's workload to prevent burnout.
• Marty Crane shared a personal health update during public comment, announcing that after a terminal biliary cancer diagnosis, an FDA-approved treatment worked and Friday would be his last chemotherapy session, followed by lifelong monthly immunotherapy.
• Crane also criticized the board and staff for failing to ensure public documents are downloadable from the agenda website.