Debate brewing over the future of Measure C in Fresno County
The future of a half-cent tax could soon divide Fresno County voters.
FRESNO, Calif. (KFSN) -- A local sales tax to fund transportation projects is not set to wind down for two years, and there is already debate about how to move forward.
With Election 2026 more than a year away, organizers are already mounting their effort to renew Measure C.
The half-cent sales tax has funded transportation in Fresno County for nearly 40 years.
Voters first passed it in 1986 and renewed it in 2006.
It's set to expire in just two years.
"I know a lot of people have concerns about the conditions of the roads. Without Measure C, they would be even worse," explained Kendall Flint, a project manager with DKS Associates.
Flint engaged with residents in Reedley on Tuesday night, asking what they want the new proposal to fund.
"I know we have rural transit, and that's nice, but it would be really neat to see folks come from the middle of Fresno to Reedley College," said one resident.
As residents weigh in, there's growing pressure.
County Supervisor Garry Bredefeld will oppose Measure C if it becomes too broad.
He says his constituents are clear about their transportation needs.
"They don't talk about light rail. They don't talk about needing to expand buses. They talk about 'Fix my street, my road. Pave my street that hasn't been paved in three decades," said Bredefeld.
There's also pressure from Transportation for All, a coalition that could launch a competing ballot proposal.
They want more money for "sustainable transportation."
The Measure C group is now trying to weigh it all.
"We also know that there's 25,000 homes in the county that do not have a car. No vehicle in the house. Of our people that use public transit, 80 percent of them are completely transit dependent. So, there has to be some sort of a balance," Flint explained.
Voters most recently rejected Measure C in 2022.
The organizers say their approach this time around is completely different. They do not want to repeat their mistakes.
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