Tara K. Freitas, CPA  I  Tulare County Assessor/Clerk-Recorder

Tara K. Freitas was appointed by the Board of Supervisors to serve as the 26th Assessor/Clerk-Recorder of Tulare County in April 2021 and was elected by the voters in June 2022. Tara previously served as the Assistant Auditor-Controller, a position she held since 2017. As assistant department head, she improved customer service by making processes more efficient and transparent. She started working for the Auditor-Controller in 2008.

Tara is a graduate of The Craig School of Business at Fresno State University, having obtained her bachelor’s degree in business administration with an emphasis in accounting. She is a certified public accountant (CPA) and a member of the Government Finance Officers Association and the California Society of Municipal Finance Officers Association. She is certified in property tax appraisal by the California Board of Equalization and has family roots in small business and farming.

Tara has taken significant steps to modernize internal systems and procedures. One big step was converting all County property tax data to a new property management system in 2022, which has modernized processes and improved efficiency. Another project was scanning more than 3,000,000 property tax records into a digital format that is now accessible in the new computer system. This project effectively made the department's workflow process paperless in 2024.

Tara is committed to improving the public’s understanding of the complex matters of property taxation and the filing and indexing of important public records. To carry out this important goal, she created a position that will focus on improving communications to the public through the Assessor’s website, direct mail correspondence, informational bulletins, and public forums.

Born and raised in Tulare County, Tara grew up in Three Rivers and graduated from Exeter Union High School. She currently lives in Visalia with her husband, Garrick, and their two children.