FRESNO, Calif. (KFSN) — Days after the Fresno Board of Supervisors determined Measure C transportation tax would be delayed from this year’s November ballot, the City of Fresno introduced a new measure Thursday morning.
“This measure does not increase sales tax at all in the City of Fresno. It keeps it exactly as it is,” said Fresno City Council President Nelson Esparza.
City leaders said its residents will not see any kind of increase.
“It’s not one penny of an increase in their sales tax,” said Council President Esparza.
The solution to the county’s transportation tax is a new measure proposed as a general fund instead of a specific purpose.
“For forty years, the City and the County of Fresno have relied on a half-cent transportation tax called Measure C; something that became a household name in Fresno County, said Fresno Mayor Jerry Dyer during Thursday’s press conference inside City Hall.
The household name is set to expire on June 30 of next year.
The introduction of a new measure after a major setback on July 14, when the Fresno County Board of Supervisors determined the Better Roads, Safe Streets initiative, a citizen-led effort to collect 22,000 signatures to qualify for the upcoming November ballot, required additional review.
RELATED: Fresno County supervisors deal blow to transportation tax initiative to extend Measure C
“As a result of that, they have effectively killed any opportunity for this measure to be placed on the ballot in November of 2026. As a result of the study, we missed it by one day,” said Mayor Dyer.
The Board raised concerns over the measure’s language, allocation of funds, and voters’ understanding of its impacts.
“The measure is full of promises about street and road repair that will not happen. It’s really a public transportation tax disguised as a roads tax,” said Board Chairman, District 2 Supervisor Garry Bredefeld.
“We all went into sort of triage mode when we found out that the county transportation measure would be delayed. And we’ve got the numbers back on what it would look like for a deficit at the city level. we had to act quick,” said Council President Nelson Esparza.
The new measure came together in the span of nine days.
“It’s really not a situation that the city created. We’re just responding and reacting the best we can,” said Council President Esparza.
The general fund is the City’s solution to fill a $54 million annual gap in city services with some money left over, all while keeping the city’s sales tax to 8.35 percent.
“I think the best we can do here is to maintain the sales tax rate at what it is currently, but provide an increased level of service,” said Council President Esparza.
Fresno City Council is expected to vote on July 30 whether to place the sales tax initiative on the November 3 ballot.
If voters support the new measure this fall, Fresnans will see that tax go into effect starting July 1, 2027.
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