Administration for the City of Tulare consists of the offices of the City Manager, City Clerk, and City Attorney.

The City of Tulare has a City Council-City Manager form of government. Under this form of government, the elected City Council sets the policies for the operation of the Tulare City Government. The administrative responsibility of the City rests with the City Manager, who is appointed by the City Council.

The Office of the City Clerk is a service department within the municipal government upon which the City Council, all City departments, and the general public rely for information regarding the operations and legislative history of the City. The City Clerk serves as the liaison between the public and City Council and provides related municipal services.

In accordance with the Tulare City Charter, the City Council shall appoint the City Attorney, who shall be an attorney-at-law, duly admitted to practice in the courts of this state, and having practiced therein at least two years.

Triangle of Policy, Product and Process 

Successful public service is achievable when the the city council, city clerk, city manager and city attorney understand and respect each other’s roles and obligations in maintaining balance within the Policy, Product and Process Triangle.

The City Council establishes the Policy, establishing vision and direction for the community’s future.

The City Manager provides the Product which is the primary reason for the existence of local government: to provide services to the taxpayers that the taxpayers cannot (or will not) provide for themselves.

The City Clerk, in consultation with the City Attorney, oversees the Process, ensuring that the decision-making process complies with federal, state, and local regulation, transparent to the public, and is properly recorded.