Anthony Samuel Epolite

The meeting commenced with the roll call confirming a quorum, followed by the approval of minutes from the February 18th meeting. The Chair's report acknowledged the end of Board Member Flores's term and thanked her for her service, while also announcing an upcoming board meeting in Oxnard on March 18th. The Executive Officer's report detailed four settlements of unfair labor practice complaints involving Rights Ranches, Moonlight Packing Company LLC, and Hosside Guy Farms, Inc., covering issues such as retaliation, mistreatment, lack of facilities, and threats related to union support. The report also noted three pending matters concerning Trifanuki Farms, Motion Miss Farms, and Red Blossom Farms, Inc. The General Counsel reported on numerous recent case settlements resulting in back pay and remedies for workers, specifically detailing settlements with Church Brothers LLC and CB Harvesting, Benjamin Wrights and Rights Ranches Inc., Moonlight Hacking, and Hosside Farms. Outreach activities were highlighted, including participation in Strategic Engagement Program clinics across various counties and radio interviews to inform workers about their rights. Following a closed session, the meeting concluded with announcements regarding the next board meeting location and date.

The Franchise Tax Board's strategic plan is centered on its mission to assist taxpayers in filing accurate returns and paying the correct amounts to fund essential Californian services. Its strategic goals include delivering exceptional customer service, ensuring effective compliance with tax laws, cultivating a strong and empowered organization, and achieving operational excellence by optimizing processes and resources. These efforts aim to enhance overall taxpayer experience, foster internal growth, and contribute to the effective functioning of state services.

The meeting included a substantial agenda focused on policy matters. Key discussions under "Work, Assets, and the Safety Net" involved presentations on combating poverty, analyzing California's social safety net systems, addressing income inequality and working poverty, and asset building initiatives. Specific attention was given to California's affordable housing shortage and strategies for strengthening refundable income tax credits. Furthermore, the Board approved the 2025 Rulemaking Calendar and a legislative proposal concerning the federal direct file notification. The session also featured the required annual Taxpayers' Bill of Rights Hearing, during which public comments were received regarding notice releases, disaster relief communication, collection activities, and reporting data.

The meeting commenced with procedural announcements, including setting public comment time for the Taxpayer Bill of Rights hearing. The primary focus of the meeting was the presentation and discussion of the draft 2026-2030 strategic plan, which detailed four key goals: exceptional service, effective compliance, strong organization, and operational excellence. Discussion followed regarding metrics and execution for the plan, including modernization of the contact service platform, employee engagement tracking (attrition/tenure, surveys), and compliance campaigns such as return review letters and non-filer outreach for the Earned Income Tax Credit. Board members requested future annual progress reports on the strategic plan's accomplishments. The board also discussed the effectiveness of the current mission statement and addressed the approval of the minutes from the September 8, 2025 meeting.

This strategic plan for the Franchise Tax Board outlines its direction from 2026 to 2030, focusing on four key goals: providing exceptional service, ensuring effective compliance, building a strong organization, and achieving operational excellence. The plan aims to continuously improve customer experience, fairly administer tax laws, value and empower employees, and optimize processes and resources to serve internal and external customers and stakeholders.