Fresno city leaders push to place transportation tax measure on November ballot

FRESNO, Calif. (KFSN) -- A proposed transportation tax measure now has the support of Mayor Jerry Dyer and the entire Fresno City Council, which voted unanimously earlier Thursday to back the effort as it moves toward the November ballot.

Supporters of the "Better Roads, Safe Streets" initiative say the measure would deliver long-awaited improvements, promising faster results for neighborhoods that have dealt with deteriorating roads for years.

"This measure will be a lifesaver and a game changer for the city of Fresno," Dyer said.

Dyer was joined by councilmembers Nick Richardson, Tyler Maxwell and Miguel Arias outside City Hall, where they emphasized the potential for immediate impact if the measure is approved.

"We will see immense results, not in a generation, not in a couple generations, but immediately. Every day when you look outside your window," Maxwell said.

The initiative would extend the county's existing transportation tax, known as Measure C, which is set to expire next year. City officials say the updated measure would prioritize repairing roads in the worst condition first.

Richardson said the push reflects a need for local investment.

"Normally, I'm not a fan of new taxes at all, or even the renewing of existing taxes, but here in Fresno, in the Central Valley, we would be absolutely kidding ourselves if we pretended that we were a priority for Sacramento," he said.

Dyer said the measure could significantly increase funding for road repairs, estimating Fresno would receive about $75 million each year - roughly triple the amount currently generated under Measure C.

"Our obligation is for our local residents to pay local taxes to see the local roads fixed, and this initiative will do exactly that," Arias said.

The campaign comes weeks after election officials identified duplicate signatures in a sample supporting the initiative, prompting a full count to confirm it met the threshold of nearly 22,000 valid signatures required to qualify for the ballot.

Despite that setback, Dyer said he is confident the measure will be approved for voters to consider. He also warned that failing to pass the initiative could leave the city without a dedicated funding source for road repairs.

"We will not have funding available at all for our streets, and our option as a council and administration is to try to take money from other departments in the city in order to be able to fund public works," Dyer said.

City leaders plan to present the measure to the Fresno County Board of Supervisors in July or August as part of the process to place it on the November ballot.

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