(📢 Tell us what you really think! Fill out our short, 3-5 minute survey about this newsletter to enter for a chance to win a $50 gift card to a local restaurant.)
Good morning! It’s Friday, June 5. This is Rob.
Cool(er): Hotter today with highs flirting with triple digits, but a subtle cooldown should take hold this weekend, dragging temperatures back into the mid-80s by early next week. NOAA
Happy Pride! Fresno city leaders will raise the Pride Flag at 10 a.m. today at Fresno City Hall. Facebook
Meet the new transparency boss: The council decided to promote Amy Aller to the full-time clerk role. She has been serving for months as the interim clerk after Todd Stermer’s departure last year. Fresnoland
Waiting games: Updated vote totals Thursday did little to move the needle in the key Fresno-area elections. Fresnoland
Want a pet? Fresno Animal Center offers fee-waived adoptions from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, June 6 at 5277 E. Airways Blvd. Fresno Animal Center
Pomp and circumstance: The fourth annual Latinx High School Celebración honors high school graduates from across Fresno Unified at 10 a.m. Saturday, June 7 at the Save Mart Center, Instagram
1. Bracing for the Big, Beautiful Bill
Thousands of Fresno County residents are affected by ongoing and/or looming federal government cuts to safety-net programs like CalFresh and Medi-Cal.
In the wake of the Trump administration’s so-called “Big Beautiful Bill,” Fresno County authorities are scrambling to not only fill an anticipated $300 million budget shortfall, but to get the word out as early as possible about some of the brutal choices coming over the summer.
Fresno County on Thursday held the first of three town hall-style meetings aimed at answering questions and providing more information about the challenges and the county’s limited ability to address them.
But only a handful of people showed up.
With two meetings remaining, both online, county leaders are hoping for greater participation going forward, Fresnoland’s Pablo Orihuela reports.
2. Cuts still coming to Fresno Unified
At the June 2 board meeting for Fresno Unified, the proposed budget for the coming school year was presented, showing gains for the district’s reserve for economic uncertainties and a sharp reduction to next year’s projected budget deficit, Diego Vargas reported.
Previously, the district projected a deficit of $55 million for 2026-27 and a reserve level for economic uncertainties of 3.69%. Now, it’s projecting a deficit of around $23 million and a reserve level of 5.52%. Despite the increases, Patrick Jensen, the district’s chief financial officer, says the district’s finances aren’t in the clear just yet.
Jensen: “We’ve understood for a number of years that low attendance and low enrollment are trends that are here to stay in our district, and they’re resulting in significantly reduced revenue.”
3. Street drinking coming to downtown
Outdoor drinking may soon be allowed during special events in downtown Fresno’s Brewery District, Fresnoland’s Pablo Orihuela reports.
The Fresno City Council unanimously approved an initial vote for the policy. A second vote will come during the next council meeting later this month.
The one-year pilot program would establish “entertainment zones” largely centered along the Fulton corridor and a few streets surrounding the Brewery District in downtown Fresno. These zones will only activate during special events, and businesses will need to apply for special permits to take advantage.
Today’s newsletter was edited by Danielle Bergstrom.
