Frequently Asked Questions
Constituents wishing to speak to a Supervisor may contact them by phone, fax or email. They can fax information to 525-4410.
Information about each Supervisor and District is available on the Board of Supervisors website.
The Board of Supervisors' offices are located on the 6th floor of the City/County Administration Building (Tenth Street Place), 1010 10th Street, Suite 6500, Modesto, CA, 95354.
You can view the Board Meeting Calendar and broadcast times, on the Board of Supervisors' website. In addition, you can also watch and listen to the meeting live on the Internet, and view archived videos of Board meetings.
Attend a Board of Supervisors meeting
Attend any Board meeting to learn about and to speak on issues of concern. The Board welcomes your attendance at the meetings and is interested in your thoughts and comments.
Attend a meeting of your local boards, commissions, and special districts
Are you the kind of person that would like to volunteer your time and serve your community? If so, there are many Boards, Commissions, and Special Districts where you can have this opportunity. Stanislaus County has eight Municipal Advisory Councils, which meet to discuss issues concerning their particular unincorporated area of the county and then advise the Board of Supervisors concerning those issues, including but not limited to advice on matters of public health, safety, welfare, public works, and planning. There are also eight Community Services Districts, three Cemetery Districts, fifteen Fire Protection Districts, two Mosquito Abatement Districts, six Irrigation Districts, and many other Special Districts, all either appointed by the Board of Supervisors or elected by the voters in their area. Besides all these Special Districts, there are forty-one active Boards and Commissions, which are all appointed or confirmed by the Board of Supervisors. Meeting information for all of them can be found on our Boards, Commissions and Special Districts website, and if you are interested in being considered for appointment to one of them, the application is available on the website or in the Board of Supervisors office at 1010 Tenth St., Suite 6700 in Modesto.
You are able to address the Board on any matter listed on the Board's agenda. For items not on the agenda, you must address the Board during the Public Comment Period, which is usually listed early on the agenda. However, California law prohibits the Board from taking action on any matter which is not on the posted agenda unless it is determined to be an emergency by the Board of Supervisors. Under normal circumstances, you will be allowed to speak for five minutes.
Before addressing the board:
- Complete a Public Comment Form. They are available on the counter as you enter the Chambers from the lobby.
- Print your name and city of residence or group you are representing clearly on the form.
- Give your form to the Clerk of the Board. The Clerk sits below the dais on the right side.
- If the item you wish to speak on is on the Consent Agenda, please tell the Clerk. Consent items are handled at one time, so if the issue you want to discuss is on the Consent Agenda, it would have to be removed.
- Advise the Clerk if you need to use audio-visual equipment.
At the time you speak:
- Listen for the Chairman to call your name.
- Step up to the podium and state your name for the record.
- If you have written material to present to the Board, please provide 12 copies to the Clerk.
- Address the Board through the Chairman. Comments to individual Board Members or staff should go through the Chairman.
- No matter how strongly you feel about an issue or particular recommendation, please be polite and courteous.
- Keep your comments brief and to the point.
- Do not repeat previous testimony.