Fresno County transportation board moves towards Measure C tax compromise

Following a contentious meeting last month, county leaders gathered Thursday to share news of thawed tensions in the ongoing political power struggle over the future of the region’s sales tax funding roads and transit.

The Fresno Council of Governments’ policy board agreed via split vote to continue working with community advocates to try and reach a compromise on how the county should go about handling its final bid to rescue Measure C — a crucial county-wide transportation tax that has funded local projects for nearly 40 years, that is set to expire in 2027.

The tensions are between two rival political forces — one establishment-backed, and the other led by community advocates, dubbed “Transportation For All” — debating what spending oversight should be installed in the new version of Measure C. Emotions seemingly boiled over and peaked in April after a lack of common ground between both sides led to many thinking there could be three rival tax proposals on the ballot in next year’s election.

A wide range of constituencies gave public comment at Thursday’s meeting — ranging from local advocates, sitting politicians and members of local academia. Their comments were delivered in a packed, sweltering hotroom, due to a lack of air conditioning throughout the meeting. 

For most, the message was clear: compromise is the only option.

“You may not always agree, and you might not agree afterwards, but I think we can all agree that…this is a moment that demands your leadership,” said Carole Goldsmith, chancellor of the State Center Community College District during public comment.

Good news came from both sides of the aisle, however, as they shared the new “One County, One Plan” proposal with the Board as proof of concept. 

Andy Levine, trustee for the Fresno Unified School District and member of Transportation For All, said the two sides have reached a “tentative agreement”  on this framework to build off of over the next month. Current Clovis councilmember and former mayor Lynne Ashbeck said that an approval of Thursday’s item would build off of that framework, and that a final version of what a unified Measure C looks like would come before the Board during next month’s meeting. 

Not everybody is happy

While Ashbeck and Levine both admitted the framework is currently lacking in details, they hoped it was enough to help the Board visualize the new proposed tax spending system. Additions like more opportunities for community engagement and plan review, can be seen added to the process. 

Board members were largely pleased with most of the set up, including making sure the elected bodies get final plan review powers, but admitted that the proposal, as is, is too vague to comment on at the moment. 

The vote on Thursday to continue working together was far from unanimous, as tensions still clearly exist between both parties. 

Terry Ogle, executive director of the Fresno County Transportation Authority, shared a statement prepared alongside County Supervisor Buddy Mendes criticizing the work done by both sides, redirecting focus to the tension-filled meeting last month. 

“…these meetings have had too many people in them to really be productive,” Ogle said during public comment. “We need to get down and talk about the issues, and we need a small amount of people in there.” 

Most members of the Board were not in agreement with Ogle’s comments. Mayor of Coalinga Nathan Vosburg said they “set us back.” Vosburg, instead, championed the opportunity for local leaders to get feedback from their constituents. 

The Transportation For All initiative has begun community meetings to get more community feedback on the next version of Measure C as it makes its way onto the 2026 ballot. The county’s official Measure C renewal effort has done the same.

Fresno Mayor Jerry Dyer also applauded Transportation For All’s efforts to generate public engagement on the tax, saying that they “get a better showing at community meetings than we would.”

Reedley Mayor Matthew Tuttle drew caution on the ongoing efforts done from the establishment side. He said after seeing the “One County, One Plan” framework that the compromises reached may have gone “a little further than I expected.”

“I want to be clear, I’m not against working with everybody…That’s exactly what I want to do, but I feel revisiting our strategy would be a wise thing as well,” Tuttle said. 

He later added, “I don’t know if it was my comments last month that kind of brought us to this, but this isn’t necessarily what I was talking about. I know (Ogle’s) comments were quite pointed…but I think it’s also wise to listen to the syntax of what he’s saying. I think we need to tread lightly as far as partnerships…”

When asked to call for vote on Thursday’s item, Tuttle asked for the language of the ordinance to replace “Transportation For All” as the named party partnering with the County with “all interested parties.” 

The recommendation was ultimately rejected, leading to a split 11-5 vote. Representatives from the cities of Kingsburg, Reedley, Sanger, Selma and Fresno County voted no.

How we got here

Much of Fresno County’s road and public transit expenses are currently covered by a half-cent sales tax known as Measure C. The tax was first approved by voters in 1986, and it was renewed for another 20 years in 2006.

However, Measure C’s current expiration date of June 2027 is fast approaching, and voters have yet to successfully signal that they’re game for another extension. The tax most recently failed to pass renewal in the November 2022 midterm elections. 

Who’s to blame for these failed renewal attempts largely depends on who you ask. 

Some reasons are more logistical, like people confusing the renewal bid as a proposal for a brand new tax on residents. 

The 2022 renewal effort faced fierce opposition from a bipartisan coalition, bringing together anti-tax groups and social justice advocates who argued the renewal wasn’t inclusive of community priorities.

Others have drawn attention to the measure’s tough two-thirds majority needed to pass. Measure C’s most recent renewal attempt won majority approval, but it fell short of passing by about 17,000 votes. 

Efforts are ongoing to try and lead a signature-led petition to reduce that threshold to a simple majority, but there’s no guarantee that gets approved in time.

The tax is currently scheduled to expire in June 2027. That means that the November 2026 midterm election will be the final chance county voters get to keep this tax alive. 

How will Measure C appear on the ballot?

Other reasons why Measure C’s renewal bids have collapsed recently include a fierce political power struggle between an establishment-backed movement to keep the status quo, and an advocacy-backed effort to change the way the tax’s steering committee prioritizes spending.  

The establishment-backed proposal — led by a body of politicians and transportation officials from across the county — would prefer to largely keep the tax’s focus on road repairs, touting its years-long record of addressing Fresno’s transportation needs. 

The advocacy-backed effort — led by a coalition of local organizations like Leadership Counsel for Justice and Accountability and the Northern California Carpenters’ Union — believe the current proposal lacks a clear path for community input in how those dollars are spent. 

Which version of Measure C ultimately appears on the 2026 ballot is still up for discussion, as both sides continue to try and reach a compromise. That hasn’t stopped both sides from flooding the field with community meetings to try and grow support for the tax.

The fight between the factions has gotten so messy, in fact, that there is a very real possibility that Fresno County voters will see not one, not two, but three different public safety and transportation tax proposals. Thursday’s meeting, however, seems to have finally extinguished those anxieties.

A third option could come from the City of Fresno splintering from the County group and introducing their own in-house tax proposal. The City of Fresno provides the largest source of tax revenue for Measure C. The city leaving would be devastating for the rest of the county, as it would greatly reduce their war chest to address their own safety and transportation issues. 

Though city leaders have flirted with the idea, no commitment has been made yet. 

“We don’t know what’s going to be in Measure C yet,” said Fresno City Council President Mike Karbassi to Fresnoland in a previous interview, “ but I’m in favor of a countywide measure, than the city going on its own.” 

What comes next?

Following the Board’s decision Thursday, a final version of the “One County, One Plan” will be presented at next month’s meeting on June 26. There, the Board will be able to begin more formally debating what the final attempt to save Measure C will look like on the November 2026 ballot.