City of Fresno voters have a chance this November to weigh in on a new, half-cent general sales tax that could be used on anything from more police to fixing roads or building more homeless shelters.
Rumblings about a new city general tax have been in the metaphorical water supply for years, with Mayor Jerry Dyer telling Fresnoland in 2025 that he was considering a new tax (like Clovis did in 2024) to address potential cuts to public safety amid the city’s budget crisis. But it took the threat of city leaders worrying if they’d lose a major source of money to fix roads and fund FAX – as the countywide Measure C transportation tax expires next June, and its replacement wasn’t certain this summer – for the city council and mayor to get on board with a potential alternative.
City leaders have tried to make it clear that Measure D isn’t a rival tax to Measure S. It’s an insurance policy instead, and many, including Dyer, are urging people to vote yes on both.
Critics of Measure D have argued that the last-minute maneuvering to get the tax on the ballot will end up confusing voters and hurting Measure S in the process. Others are skeptical of a general tax without a spending plan, subject to the whims of the mayor and council each year.
But the insurance policy bit makes the way this tax is implemented – if a simple majority of voters approve it – a little complicated. Read on below to learn more.
Will Measure D add to my taxes?
No, which may seem counterintuitive. Here’s why.
The short answer is that Fresno residents won’t have a higher sales tax bill regardless of whether Measure D passes and Measure S, the countywide transportation tax on the ballot, passes or fails.
The longer answer is that while Measure D won’t add to your tax burden, we may or may not be done with more transportation taxes in the future, and that could affect how much your sales tax costs down the road.
IF Measure S, the countywide half-cent transportation sales tax on the November ballot passes with more than 50% of voters in support, then even if Measure D passes, it will effectively sunset, according to the an analysis prepared by city attorney Andrew Janz. Fresno residents’ sales tax bill would remain the same in that case, at 8.35%.
If Measure S doesn’t pass, and voters approve Measure D, then the city will start collecting the new tax on July 1, 2027 – the day after Measure C expires. Fresno residents’ sales tax bill would also remain the same in that case, at 8.35%.
And in the universe where Measure S doesn’t pass, it’s safe to say that city and county leaders are going to keep working to find some sort of solution to raise enough money to pay for roads, transit and sidewalks across the region. If they end up putting another countywide transportation tax on the ballot, that could end up adding to your sales tax, if Fresno isn’t a “beneficial recipient” of the tax.
What will they spend the money on?
The tax is supposed to raise about $65 million annually, the city estimates.
As a general sales tax, there is no spending plan, by design. California law prohibits local governments from earmarking revenue from a general tax on any specific purpose or project when it goes before voters.
Instead, it will go to the city’s general fund, and the mayor and city council will work on how they’ll spend the money each year during their annual budget process.
That means, in any given year, they could spend it on fixing roads, hiring more police, or building more homeless shelters.
City proponents have strongly hinted that they want this to be for roads – after all, the Yes on Measure D committee is called “Driving a Safer Fresno – Yes on D”. But they can’t legally promise that to voters without getting in trouble.
The whole reason we have Measure D was in the context of city leaders worrying about a $54 million annual deficit resulting in cuts to bus routes and road repairs if Measure C expires next June without a replacement. But how much of that $65 million actually goes towards road repair, or to FAX, or any other city priority, is up to any given city council and mayor each year.
Most city elected leaders have backed Measure S, but you could safely say that Measure D is their insurance if that tax does fail.
If it does end up going into effect, it will sunset in 10 years. They also say it will have independent audits and citizen oversight, although the details of that haven’t been spelled out.
Who supports Measure D?
Mayor Jerry Dyer, along with Councilmembers Miguel Arias, Nelson Esparza, Mike Karbassi, Tyler Maxwell, Nick Richardson and Brandon Vang; also, Nav Gurm, candidate for Fresno City Council, District 7.
Who opposes Measure D?
Councilmember Annalisa Perea, who voted against placing the tax on the ballot this summer, arguing that it could be a “blank check” for the city that wouldn’t necessarily address the city’s transportation needs without a more specific spending plan. Ariana Martinez Lott, who is running for Fresno City Council, District 7, is also opposed to Measure D, for similar reasons, she told Fresnoland.
Naindeep Singh, who is running to replace Perea for her council seat, told Fresnoland he’s “strongly opposed” to it, implying that the backstop could undermine the Measure S campaign.
Fresno County’s Libertarian Party has also registered opposition.
Who is funding the Yes on D campaign?
There’s a few familiar faces from Fresno’s business and development community.
- $25,000 from Amendola Investments II, a business of Lou Amendola, owner of Valley Wide Beverage
- $10,000 from River Park Properties II, a business of Edward Kashian
- $2,500 from WA Funding, a business of Brad Hardie, of Regency Property Management
There is no funded opposition to Measure D, according to city campaign finance records.
