What's at stake?
As Fresno County pledges to continue fighting to prevent the Better Roads tax measure from making it on the November ballot, the City of Fresno has decided to place their citywide general tax proposal on the November ballot as a contingency.
The City of Fresno announced on Friday that it has filed to place their recently approved citywide general tax measure on the November ballot, amid uncertainty on how the county will follow through on the recently approved state bill that should allow the Better Roads countywide tax measure to go before voters later this year.
California Gov. Gavin Newsom signed AB 1923 on Thursday, allowing the state to place the Better Roads tax measure on Fresno County’s November general election ballots. However, as of Friday afternoon, the measure has still not been placed on the ballot by the county’s election clerk.
That’s because the Better Roads measure must still be procedurally placed on the ballot by the Fresno County Board of Supervisors. However, the county’s consistent opposition to the measure, and their recent pledge to fight AB 1923 in court, has given the city reason to doubt the Better Roads coalition can declare victory just yet.
“At this time, there is no indication the Board will support moving the measure forward,” city leaders said in a statement. “County Counsel has also stated publicly that it is his professional opinion that the State’s action was not lawful, leaving the City with no reason to believe the Board will be supportive next week, and reason to expect further delays.”
Their news release later reads, “While we anticipate it may eventually be worked out, as of today – the City of Fresno’s deadline – there is no certainty that it will be added to the November ballot.”
However, the deadline to place a measure on the November ballot is Friday, Aug. 7.
In a text message to Fresnoland late Friday, Soria spokesperson Brody Fernandez appeared to push back on the idea that Better Roads could somehow still avoid the November ballot.
“Let me be clear: the Fresno County Transportation Act is now LAW. Authored by Assemblywoman Soria, passed by both houses of the Legislature, and signed by Governor Newsom, AB 1923 is the law of the land,” Fernandez said in the text.
Friday’s announcement by the city reverses course on news shared on Thursday that the City of Fresno would not be placing the citywide measure on the ballot.
The city’s general tax includes language that automatically nullifies it if a countywide tax measure is approved and in place by July 2027. That means that, if both the city and the Better Roads tax plan get approved by voters this November, the city’s measure would become void.
Still, Dyer said in Friday’s statement that he understands the city’s actions may not sit well with other county elected officials.
“This has truly been one of the most difficult decisions I’ve faced as Mayor,” Dyer said. “I know that submitting the City’s measure today may disappoint my fellow mayors throughout the county, and that weighs heavily on me. But I want to reassure them — and all of our partners — that this choice in no way diminishes my support for the Better Roads, Safe Streets measure, a countywide initiative I am confident will improve every one of our communities, and I remain fully committed to seeing it succeed.
The city’s tax proposal is a general tax that is expected to net the city $65 million annually. That money is expected to cover a projected loss of $54 million annually and save 217 jobs.
However, its status as a general tax means none of that money can be earmarked for a specific purpose, leading some critics to believe that voters may be writing the city a blank check.
