VISALIA, CA — Local construction and water projects are moving forward again after the record-breaking 43-day federal government shutdown ended. A temporary funding deal reached in late 2025 will keep government operations running until late January 2026.
Representative Vince Fong (R-20th District) helped secure $2 million to refill underground water supplies. This work, called groundwater recharge, is expected to improve Visalia’s long-term water supply. Fong now represents part of the city due to recent redistricting, the process where voting district boundaries are redrawn.
Representative Jim Costa (D-21st District), who also represents the city, secured $250,000 for the widening of Riggen Avenue. Since the city received less money than it asked for, the road project will likely take longer to finish.
The city secured these funds after applying for the grants in early 2025. Visalia had missed out on money for several 2024 projects because Congress failed to pass earlier spending bills. Thorn Run Partners, which lobbies for the city in Washington, D.C., submitted six requests. Four of those were supported by local representatives.
However, even with the money secured, local officials and lobbyists are worried. They fear that political fighting between President Donald Trump and Governor Gavin Newsom could lead the government to cancel funding for California projects. Greg Burns of Thorn Run Partners and Councilman Brian Poochigian noted that this tension makes the future of road and water projects unclear.
Local leaders are also monitoring federal policies that could affect the regional economy. The Trump administration recently increased daily entrance fees to $100 for non-citizens at 12 major national parks, including Sequoia-Kings Canyon. Officials are watching to see if the higher fees will discourage international visitors from spending money in Tulare County.
The fee change comes as Visalia prepares for an expected increase in visitors from abroad. Councilman Poochigian said the region hopes to benefit from travelers attending the World Cup in the summer of 2026 and the Olympic Games that follow.
Congress was scheduled to return to work for its official session on January 3, 2026. While the current funding prevents another shutdown for now, it remains a short-term fix as the late January budget deadline approaches.
