Quote of the Week
“We’re the only city awarded the designation that missed the deadline, and I’m ashamed of that, as the mayor of the city, and I know all of you on the council are as well.”
— Mayor Jerry Dyer on the City of Fresno losing its coveted ‘prohousing’ status
This Week in Fresnoland
SEDA vote abruptly cancelled
A vote on the city’s controversial southeast mega-development plan (known as the Southeast Development Area, or SEDA) plan got abruptly postponed this week, Fresnoland’s Gregory Weaver reported.
The city’s planning director Jennifer Clark blamed “misinformation” for derailing the planning commission’s vote, citing both comments from private meetings as well as a report from Gregory earlier this week about the project’s finance holes.
The dramatic reversal came just a day after a financial analysis revealed the project faces a roughly $3 billion infrastructure funding shortfall, with developer fees covering only 20% of the estimated $4.3 billion in costs.
The report comes as Mayor Jerry Dyer has also recently pulled support from the eastern portion of the project over concerns with saddling Fresno residents with billions in debt for water and sewer mains.
Fresno isn’t ‘prohousing’ anymore, which could cost the city millions in housing funds
The Newsom administration stripped Fresno of its coveted “Prohousing Designation” — which, translated from policy speak, means the city could lose out on millions of dollars of badly-needed state funds for affordable housing.
The city lost its special status because it isn’t doing enough to address its housing needs in a timely manner, Mayor Jerry Dyer shared at a council hearing.
The mayor announced the state’s decision the same day as a contentious hearing over a proposal to more easily convert areas of the city zoned for office space into housing.
While the council didn’t vote on the proposal, some residents and electeds voiced skepticism over the policy change. But the clock’s ticking, as regaining the prohousing status is contingent on zoning more land for homes.
Read more in Pablo Orihuela’s report for Fresnoland.
Our deep dive into the Mayor’s almost 500-page budget proposal
Fresnoland’s Omar S. Rashad took a deep dive into Mayor Jerry Dyer’s 466-page document — detailing his $2.36 billion budget proposal for the city — and came out with a few key takeaways.
The police budget is down slightly (but staffing levels aren’t). The fire budget, on the other hand, is slightly up.
Federal funding cuts could threaten the city’s affordable housing developments, including a $32 million senior center in central Fresno. Waning federal and state funds are also slimming the Parks, After School, Recreation and Community Services (PARCS) Department budget.
And the city’s sales tax revenue is down for the first time since Dyer took office (in 2021).
Those are just a few of Omar’s findings. Read about the rest in his report for Fresnoland.
Fresno-area schools preserve LGBTQ+ students resources, despite federal threats
Fresnoland’s Gisselle Medina took a look at how the Trump administration’s executive order to eliminate diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) programs from school districts is impacting students’ access to LGBTQ+ resources.
Despite the political pressure and legal uncertainty, Gisselle reports, school districts and staff in the Fresno area are actively working to preserve their existing support systems for students.
That includes Fresno Unified, where a district spokesperson confirmed schools will continue following California’s SAFETY Act that reinforces rights and protections for LGBTQ+ students and prohibits “forced outing.”
But a student Gisselle spoke with is still worried whether needed supports, like schools’ Gender and Sexuality Alliances, could vanish with threats to DEI from the current administration.
Why isn’t Fresno putting enough city residents into construction jobs?
Fresno’s attempt to get more city residents into higher-paying, union jobs — in the form of a citywide project labor agreement — has hit some snags, and some experts have opposite opinions on what will make it more successful, Fresnoland’s Julianna Morano reported.
A report presented to the council earlier this year showed the local trades unions were short dozens of workers when it came to the local hiring targets established in the city’s five-year labor agreement.
While some — including Fresno’s city manager — say raising the threshold that triggers the labor agreement (right now, a $1 million cost estimate) is key to improving local hire by making the work more manageable, other labor leaders are advocating to lower it, arguing it will bring more trades into the fold.
Others point to apprenticeship pipelines and the agreement’s definition of “local” as key.
Outside the Lines
Homelessness grew by 3% — and unsheltered homelessness by 10% — in Fresno and Madera counties, preliminary numbers from the region’s 2025 Point in Time Count show. Fresnoland
The Fresno County jail turned over more than 100 people to Immigration and Customs Enforcement last year according to new data from the sheriff’s office. Fresnoland
Fresno County’s In-Home Supportive Services (IHSS) workers, represented by SEIU Local 2015, got a long-fought win yesterday as the Board of Supervisors unanimously approved their new contract. Fresnoland
Her tenure as superintendent of Fresno Unified may only have officially just started, but the district’s new leader Misty Her came on the Fresnolandia podcast to talk about how she plans to herd everyone toward the same goals. Fresnoland
Protesters demonstrated in front of the Fresno VA Medical Center to rally against the Trump administration’s planned cuts to the Veterans Affairs’ workforce. Fresnoland
Fresnoland took home nine honors in the 2025 California Journalism Awards, including top recognitions for investigative reporting, housing reporting, community-focused reporting, newsletters, and podcasts. Fresnoland
The California Smoke Shops Association is suing the City of Fresno over its smoke shop ordinance. The association claims that the city council used “improper procedure” in their April ordinance, which attempts to crack down on smoke shops operating illegally throughout the city. The Business Journal
A former elementary school principal who was caught on video striking down a Fresno Unified student with special needs recently changed his plea to “no contest.” The Fresno Bee
The City of Fresno has “$20 million sitting around to develop new park space” thanks to Measure P, and it’s burning a hole in the city’s pocket, Bee columnist Marek Warszawski writes. Most of that funding is designated for neighborhoods south of Shaw, though the jury’s still out on where exactly it will go. The Fresno Bee
Block Beat
AIRPORT: The Airways Municipal Golf Course will one day close due to expansions of the Fresno Yosemite International Airport, officials have said. The Fresno Bee
MANCHESTER: The Record Shop is joining forces with Bad Girls Market to put on the Central Valley Record Expo this Saturday, May 24 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the Manchester Center (3502 N. Blackstone Ave.) where you can find vinyl records, CDs, cassette tapes, 8-tracks, DVDs and more. The Record Shop
DOWNTOWN: The Youth Orchestras of Fresno presents ¡Arriba! Gala Finale concert for its 75th Anniversary. You can buy tickets to the concert this Sunday, May 25, at 4 p.m. at the William Saroyan Theater downtown. Then, head over to Arte Américas at 7 p.m. for the after-party, where orchestra members and kids under 5 eat free. Youth Orchestras of Fresno
CLOVIS: The Clovis Veteran Memorial District will host its annual Memorial Day celebration Monday, May 26, starting at 9 a.m. The event will feature a concert, a Gold Star Remembrance Ceremony, veterans and community service organizations and a “complimentary lunch,” among other outdoor activities. Clovis Veterans Memorial District
CHINATOWN: Judging by the Cover will host a “Heal Your Inner Child” playdate at their store (1029 F. St.) for LGBTQ+ grown-ups, Saturday, May 31 at 1 p.m. Complete with cootie catchers, friendship bracelet and craft stations, gift bags and more, the event is a “safe, sober, and affirming environment for folks” ages 16 and up. Tickets are available for purchase on a sliding scale. Judging by the Cover
FRESNO COUNTY: The Fresno County Fruit Trail — a self-guided tour of fruit stands through the farm country — has officially kicked off. If you haven’t taken a drive through the backcountry roads of Reedley, Sanger, and Orange Cove, here’s your sign. More details are available at GoFruitTrail.com. Fresno County Office of Tourism
DOWNTOWN: The city just broke ground on its latest affordable housing project: “The Mosaic,” at the former site of the Econo Inn motel on Broadway. ABC30
