What happened?
The Fresno City Council said goodbye to two councilmembers and welcomed its newest member on Thursday.
The first Fresno City Council meeting of the year began with celebrating its members leaving the council and welcoming city officials entering new terms.
The council first bid farewell to Luis Chavez and Garry Bredefeld, who each handily won their campaigns for county supervisor in the November 2024 presidential election.
Chavez thanked a number of his council colleagues along with Mayor Jerry Dyer, before telling a crowded council chambers that an end to his tenure as a councilmember does not mean an end to working with city officials and its constituents.
Chavez said as the supervisor for Fresno County’s District 3, his constituents include residents of four different council districts. He also said he’s already begun brainstorming potential ways for his county office to collaborate with city officials.
“The one thing that is certain in this building is that all of us up here — we’re just passing through,” Chavez said, gesturing to the Fresno City Council dais. “We’re just passing through, but the time that we’re here, we’re going to make a difference in people’s lives.”
Garry Bredefeld said it was the honor of his life to represent District 6 constituents on the City Council. Bredefeld’s first stint on the council lasted one four-year term from 1997 to 2001, and his second stint was composed of two terms, beginning in 2017.
He praised his council colleagues for a number of milestones, including expanding the city’s police department and fire department, building Chukchansi Park and establishing the “In God We Trust” sign inside council chambers.
“Every one of us up here,” Bredefeld said gesturing to the dais, “in collaboration with Mayor Dyer, have made positive changes in our city and I couldn’t be more prouder of those efforts, accomplishments and the people sitting up here.”
Each city councilmember took turns congratulating Chavez and Bredefeld for their work on the council and said they were excited to collaborate with them in their new roles as supervisors.
“You guys have graduated from the minor leagues,” Councilmember Tyler Maxwell said to the two newly minted supervisors.
Dyer and councilmembers Mike Karbassi, Tyler Maxwell and Nick Richardson — the newest member of the council — all got sworn into their new terms.
In what was the final mayoral inauguration speech of his tenure, Dyer spoke of how his faith, family and fitness have sustained him through the years as police chief and then mayor. He handily won his mayoral reelection bid in the March 2024 primary election.
Dyer spoke to the city’s accomplishments over the last four years, which, he said, included adding 88 police officers and 75 firefighters and cutting emergency response times. Dyer also said the city has addressed homelessness, providing emergency shelter to 9,200 unhoused people since 2021.
“Of those 9,200 people, 53% of those people have been placed into permanent housing,” Dyer said, “and after a two-year period, 95% of them remained in those permanent housing.”
Karbassi had Police Chief Mindy Casto administer the oath of office for his second full term serving representing District 2, with Fresno Fire Chief Billy Alcorn and firefighter union leadership standing behind him during Thursday’s ceremony.
Karbassi highlighted the city’s fire department and fire union leadership, adding that Fresno City Firefighters Local 202 have supported him ever since he first ran for City Council.
“I think loyalty is the most valuable currency in this game, and if you want a friend in Fresno, call a firefighter,” Karbassi said in his inauguration speech. He went on to thank his city colleagues, as well as his parents and fiancé in the audience.
Maxwell had his fiancé swear him into his second full term representing District 4 on the City Council. He ran for re-election unopposed last year. Maxwell on Thursday spoke to how his father, who passed away during the pandemic, was his reason for running for office.
After falling off a ladder, Maxwell’s father injured his back and later became addicted to opioids, Maxwell said. It tore his family apart and Maxwell said he grew up living with extended family and relatives until high school. Maxwell said his reason for running for office came from wanting to serve people like his father.
“My dad was a good person who had fallen on hard times,” Maxwell said. “I think we all know someone like that — a good person that’s maybe made one or two bad decisions. I think we all know a friend or a family member that’s dealt with poverty, somebody that’s dealt with substance abuse issues.”
Maxwell said he has a new reason guiding him for his second term — children in Fresno — burgeoned by his upcoming marriage and having kids “hopefully in the not-so-distant future.”
Richardson was also sworn in Thursday, representing District 6 and replacing Bredefeld on the City Council. In his speech, he spoke to how his campaign beat the odds.
“We were told this was an impossible task for an individual or group with no political experience at all,” Richardson said. “Every time we were told that this was an impossible dream, that we couldn’t perform this task, we steeled our eyes, put a smile on our face, and we said, ‘Roger that.’”
Richardson went on to say that he would do the people’s work over the next four years and hold his council colleagues accountable, while expecting the same from them.
“As I take this new position, please remember, just like I will, that this seat is not mine,” Richardson said. “This seat is yours. I have been allowed and I have been tasked to fill it.”
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