Fresno County supervisors deal blow to transportation tax initiative to extend Measure C

FRESNO COUNTY, Calif. (KFSN) -- A proposed Fresno County transportation tax that recently qualified for the ballot now faces a significant hurdle after county supervisors voted to subject the measure to an additional review, casting doubt on whether it will appear before voters in November.

The Fresno County Board of Supervisors voted Tuesday to send the Better Roads, Safe Streets initiative into a 30-day impact review following nearly two hours of discussion with the measure's authors and supporters.

The meeting drew a packed crowd and, at times, heated exchanges.

Supervisors Garry Bredefeld, Buddy Mendes and Nathan Magsig voted in favor of the review, citing concerns about the measure's language, how funding would be allocated and whether voters have enough clarity about 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," Bredefeld said.

The vote comes less than a week after Fresno County Registrar of Voters James Kus confirmed the initiative had gathered the roughly 21,000 signatures required to qualify for the ballot. During Tuesday's meeting, Kus presented a certificate of sufficiency for the measure.

The proposal was crafted as a replacement for Measure C, which is scheduled to expire next year and has long provided funding for transportation and infrastructure projects throughout the county.

Local elected officials appeared on both sides of the debate.

"Telling Fresno County residents they shall not be involved in determining their transportation future would be the opposite of democracy," Clovis Mayor Vong Mouanoutoua said.

Clovis Mayor Pro Tem Dianne Pearce opposed the measure.

"I'll even give them the benefit of the doubt and say they have the best of intentions, but the road to hell is paved with good intentions. But if this measure were to pass, that road wouldn't get paved at all," Pearce said.

Following the board's decision, supporters gathered outside the Hall of Records, expressing frustration with the outcome.

"I think this is voter suppression, quite frankly," Fresno Mayor Jerry Dyer said.

Dyer said failure to replace Measure C could have wide-ranging consequences for transportation projects and local government agencies that rely on the funding.

"We're not gonna have the funding to do that work, not to mention the number of people at the county and city level that will end up perhaps even losing their job," he said.

Supporters can still move the initiative forward if the review is completed by Aug. 7. County officials would then have the option of calling a special meeting to place the measure on the ballot.

However, the measure's authors acknowledged they have never undergone a review process like this before and expect it may extend beyond the deadline, potentially jeopardizing the initiative's chances of appearing before voters in November.

For news updates, follow Vincent Camarillo on Instagram.