District Three Supervisor Candidates Debate Issues In Twain Harte

Published Apr 17, 2026 7:53 am

Anaiah Kirk and Tim McCaffrey square off at Twain Harte forum - Photo by BJ Hansen

Twain Harte, CA — For the second time this week, the incumbent and challenger in the District Three Tuolumne County Board of Supervisors race met to discuss several county topics.

During the most recent forum, Thursday evening, candidates Anaiah Kirk and Tim McCaffrey squared off at the Twain Harte School. It was put on by the Twain Harte Chamber of Commerce and moderated by students from Summerville High School.

District Three covers the greater Tuolumne and Twain Harte areas, and other communities up the Highway 108 corridor like Cold Springs, Pinecrest, and Strawberry.

Both McCaffrey and Kirk were offered time for opening statements in which they talked about their backgrounds and reasons for getting into the race.

Kirk was born and raised in Tuolumne County, met his wife here, and they are raising their four children. He noted that he is seeking a third term in office, and stated that he was earlier prepared to exit, but decided to run again because of progress being made on initiatives he has been pushing for to “change the culture of the county,” following the addition of two new supervisors in 2024 (Mike Holland and Steve Griefer).

McCaffrey was born in San Jose, spent many summers with his family in the Twain Harte area, and later relocated to Tuolumne County. His family has long been involved in the business community, owning the McCaffrey House. A major reason for entering the race was a disagreement with Kirk’s stance on a proposed resolution to denounce hate crimes following an incident in Jamestown. Kirk introduced and helped pass a counter-resolution focused on the 14th Amendment.

Asked about ideas to improve the District 3 economy, Kirk talked about fire resiliency projects (helping to create a fuel break around the community), pushing the state to reopen Highway 108 Sonora Pass by May 1 (now being taken up by Senator Marie Alvarado-Gil), and increasing law enforcement deputies.

McCaffrey talked about how most money made by District 3 businesses occurs during the summer months, stating the recent winter season was “rough,” due to the minimal snow. He spoke about a desire to see a more year-round economy. He referenced the work of Visit Tuolumne County and a hope to see things like festivals in the fall, and more promotion of activities like hiking offerings and seasonal flower viewing.

At one point, McCaffrey proposed that the county reinstate an economic development director position, while Kirk countered that most of the business owners he has spoken to just want the government to “get out of the way.” Both highlighted a desire to make the development process more affordable and quicker. Kirk argued that a lot of headway is being made with the implementation of the OpenGov system to move permitting online. He said the county is successfully shifting away from a previous 30-year period of “no growth” and development-unfriendly policies. McCaffrey countered that he has tried using OpenGov and felt it is not user-friendly.

McCaffrey criticized Kirk’s vote to close the Station 56 Mono Vista Fire Station, arguing that Kirk wasn’t serious about one of his stated top priorities, fire protection. Kirk countered that he has been working behind the scenes on a solution to ensure that Station 56 remains open, and more details would be released soon.

Talking about the need for new housing, Kirk spoke about efforts to make it easier to add ADUs. McCaffrey countered the costs are still too high for this type of housing addition, citing personal attempts to look into adding one. Kirk responded that the high cost of housing is more related to state environmental requirements, as opposed to county actions. Kirk said change needs to happen at the state Capitol.

Another area they disagreed on was a proposed fee system for parking at Pinecrest Lake, related to overcrowding. It is an issue that Kirk had pushed for, and McCaffrey is in opposition.

Regarding culture changes in the county over the past two years, Kirk spoke about improvements made at Standard Park, saying it has been “a dump for a decade,” but after “holding people accountable,” Standard Park is “looking amazing,” with fixed fences and grant money coming for irrigation improvements.

McCaffrey was critical of the new culture in the Community Development Department and recent high turnover, and praised the work of former Community Development Director Quincy Yaley. He also praised Public Works Department staff and leadership. In addition, he raised concerns about the low pay of many of the county employees doing critical jobs, and the need to keep them.

Kirk argued that he was personally a better fit to make tough decisions and that McCaffrey would be more of a “bureaucrat” and friend to the staff.

It has been a tense campaign season locally, and while there were times of sparring back and forth on Thursday, both Kirk and McCaffrey shook hands and embraced afterward.

The event spanned an hour and a half. It was the second time they met this week, after both also spoke at a joint meeting of the Tuolumne County Business Council and Tuolumne County Association of Realtors on Wednesday. Questions at that event were also heavily focused on business-related issues.

The primary election is coming up on June 2nd.