Fresno council approves half-cent sales tax for November ballot; two other measures rejected

Fresno voters will vote on a half-cent general sales tax in November — a last-ditch effort to offset the likely loss of millions of dollars in Measure C transportation funds.

The Fresno City Council voted Thursday on four proposed measures — publicly unveiled for the first time Monday morning — include enacting a half-cent sales tax, financing for a major development project, establishing a redistricting advisory committee, and extending term limits for elected leaders.

One of those proposed measures related to financing for a controversial proposed mega development in southeast Fresno was tabled.

The eleventh-hour proposals sparked debate and criticism, primarily for being introduced only 72-hours before the Council was scheduled to vote on the items. A government ethics watchdog and political science experts told The Bee that a 72-hour notice was not enough time for Fresno residents to review, debate and discuss the four measures.

Council President Nelson Esparza defended the timing of the proposals’ introduction, saying it complied with the state’s open meeting laws.

“This is very straightforward. This is not a complicated proposition,” Esparza said at a Monday news conference announcing the term limit proposal. “Folks have the week here to review and ask questions.”

It would have cost $600,000 of taxpayer funds to put all four measures on the Nov. 3 general election ballot.

Critics and elections officials pointed out that not all items were required to go in front of voters for approval.

Election items need to be presented to the Fresno County Clerk by the Aug. 7 deadline, and Thursday was the last regularly scheduled City Council meeting before that date. Esparza said he does not intend to schedule a special meeting to amend the killed measures and bring them back for approval in time to make the November ballot.

As of 6:30 p.m., the Fresno City Council had not voted on the term limit proposed measure. Here’s how the Council voted Thursday on the other proposed measures.

Half-cent general tax measure heading to November ballot

The council voted 6-1 to send a half-cent tax measure to the November ballot, which proponents said will maintain infrastructure and prevent mass layoffs expected to be caused by the looming expiration of a countywide transportation tax.

But the measure is a general tax, meaning the estimated $65 million in annual proceeds will ultimately be at the city council’s discretion if approved by voters.

There is no guarantee the money would go exclusively towards transportation, unlike the county’s longstanding transportation tax, which was the biggest issue for Councilmember Annalisa Perea, who voted against the measure, and some local candidates and residents who made public comments to raise their concerns.

“While I understand that something is better than nothing, I think we need to be realistic with what it is we’re exactly asking the voters to do, which is to write a blank check,” Perea said.

Co-sponsors of the general tax proposal, Dyer, Esparza and Karbassi, announced the measure last week after an effort to succeed the expiring countywide transportation tax was stalled by the Board of Supervisors. A slew of councils representing cities across Fresno County voted to formally support the effort, known as Better Roads, Safe Streets.

The city’s infrastructure backlog will increase by $55 million annually without an alternative funding source, according to the resolution, and place 217 jobs in jeopardy, according to Dyer.

“We’re going to do everything we can… to prevent laying off employees, and we’re going to do everything we can to maintain essential service,” Dyer said. “And transportation for people in our community is an essential service. So that is why I am supporting this measure.”

A general tax was pursued over a special tax, which would have allowed spending guardrails, because of timing and the likelihood of it being passed by voters, Esparza said.

General fund taxes only need a majority of voters to support, whereas a specific tax needs two-thirds.

“The devil is always in the details,” District 7 Council candidate Ariana Martinez Lott said while addressing the council. “So ultimately, we are asking voters to pass a tax that we have no guarantee that is actually going to go towards protecting the investment in fixing our roads and our sidewalks.”

In the unlikely chance that the Better Roads, Safe Streets countywide tax measure is placed on the ballot by the Board of Supervisors, Dyer said he would use his ability to veto the city measure.

“We’re in a position where this is something we need to do,” Esparza said.

If approved by voters, it would expire in 10 years or, if a countywide sales tax is approved in the future. It would keep Fresno’s tax rate at 8.35%.

‘No Debt for Development’ Act

On Friday, Fresno City Council President Nelson Esparza introduced a proposal for a ballot measure known as “No Debt on Development Act,” which he said would place “guardrails” on the Southeast Development Area, which is Fresno Mayor Jerry Dyer’s plan to expand the city to the south and east through annexation, a project that could add up to 45,000 new homes to the city.

The “No Debt on Development Act” will ask voters to prohibit the city of Fresno from spending general fund tax revenues or incurring bond debt to pay for infrastructure capital improvements, operating and maintenance expenses for development within the SEDA, except for a 2,000 acre section of the project known as the “South SEDA Plan Area.”

But critics say the ballot measure proposal doesn’t make sense, with one calling it a “contradictory and confusing mess.”

In a letter sent Tuesday to top Fresno officials, Patience Milrod, attorney for the Central Labor Council and the nonprofit Regenerate California Innovation — groups opposed to the SEDA — detailed several concerns with the proposed ballot measure, saying "it allows Fresnans’ taxes and fees to flow into SEDA rather than funding only Fresno infrastructure and services,” Milrod said.

District 5 Councilmember Brandon Vang, who has previously vocalized opposition to SEDA, made a motion to table the item because he was waiting for the financial report workshop.

The motion to table the item passed 4-3, with Vang and Councilmembers Miguel Arias, Annalisa Perea and Nick Richardson voting to table the measure.

The Fresno City Planning Commission will hold a public hearing to consider recommending approval of the revised Southeast Development Area Specific Plan and its environmental impact report on Aug. 19 at 6 p.m. at City Hall.

Citizen Redistricting Advisory Commission measure killed

The council voted 4-3 to strike down a measure that would have created a citizen advisory committee to make recommendations on redistricting maps to the city council.

Amendments were brought up by Councilmember Richardson to make the commission decision-making instead of simply advisory, among other things. However, Council President Esparza made a motion for the council to vote for the original proposal without amendments.

District Three Councilmember Miguel Arias and some residents who made public comment said a ballot measure is not needed for a committee of this kind, and it could simply be approved by the council.

Others raised concerns over the proposed advisory committee having no teeth, still leaving all districting decisions up to the council.

“Any given Thursday, this council can indulge a truly independent commission, but this does not meet the legal description of independent commission. It’s simply advisory.”

The measure proposal was co-sponsored by Esparza, Maxwell and Karbassi, who had described it as “good governance.”

This story was originally published July 30, 2026 at 6:53 PM with the headline "Fresno council approves half-cent sales tax for November ballot; two other measures rejected."