Quote of the Week
“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.”
—Fresno Unified CFO Patrick Jensen, addressing the board of trustees during a budget presentation
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This Week in Fresnoland
Former sheriff secures Fresno’s only major election night victory
There’s a former sheriff in town, but just about every other key local race on the ballot this week is headed for a fall runoff.
Former Fresno County Sheriff Margaret Mims brushed off four opponents Tuesday, easily securing an outright election victory in the race to fill the southern seat on the Fresno County Board of Supervisors.
Mims replaces retiring Supervisor Buddy Mendes, who endorsed the former sheriff’s campaign.
The only other candidate in a major local race with a shot at dodging a November runoff is unfolding in the race to represent District 5 on the Fresno City Council. Single-year incumbent Brandon Vang easily outpaced his three opponents in the race, but remained just above the 50% majority threshold needed for an outright victory, with thousands of ballots still left to count.
The Fresno County Clerk’s Office says results from another batch of ballots will be announced Tuesday.
Fresno voters had more interest in primary politics than usual this week, with ballots returned from about 34% of eligible voters.
Check out Fresnoland’s full coverage and most recent breakdowns here.
Follow the money all the way to City Hall
Much has been written about PACs, politics and the power of money even, and perhaps especially, in local-level races.
And while the relatively new Youth Save Democracy PAC made a lot of waves in the leadup to Tuesday’s primary election, there was another new-to-City-Hall face in the crowd that spent almost twice as much money to influence the Fresno City Council races.
The region’s largest teachers union, the Fresno Teachers’ Association, contributed about $20,000 to four city council candidates, all of whom won spots on the November ballot this week.
Fresnoland’s Danielle Bergstrom spoke exclusively to the union about its entrance into the City Hall politics chat and breaks down the other big spenders in those races, including the developer and private-equity funded One Fresno Coalition/Central Valley Council PAC.
Drinking outside coming to the Brewery District
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.
Cuts still coming to Fresno Unified
Gavin Newsom’s budget revisions last month helped Fresno Unified fill in at least some of the district’s projected $55 million deficit next school year, but California’s third largest school district is not out of the woods by any stretch, Fresnoland’s Diego Vargas reports.
At the June 2 board meeting for Fresno Unified, the proposed budget for the coming school was presented, showing gains for the district’s reserve for economic uncertainties and a sharp reduction to next year’s projected budget deficit.
Previously, the district projected a deficit of $55 million for 2026-27 and a reserve level for economic uncertainties of 3.69%.
Following May revisions to the state’s proposed budget, Fresno Unified now projects a deficit of around $23 million. The new numbers also would bring the district’s reserve level funds from about 3.69% to about 5.52%, CFO Patrick Jensen told the school board Wednesday night.
Fresno County’s looming $300 million deficit
In the wake of the Trump administration’s “Big Beautiful Bill,” Fresno County authorities are scrambling to not only fill an anticipated $300 million budget shortfall, but to get the word out about some of the heavy decisions under consideration during upcoming summer budget talks, Fresnoland’s Pablo Orihuela reports.
Fresno County held the first of three town hall-style meetings Thursday to answer questions and provide information about the looming challenges and the county’s limited ability to address them.
And despite the fact that thousands of Fresno County residents are already or will soon feel the brunt of the sweeping changes to programs like Medi-Cal and CalFresh, not many locals made it out to the Thursday night meeting in Clovis.
With two meetings remaining, both online, county leaders are hoping for greater participation going forward.
Outside the Lines
Fresno County is gearing up for a legal fight to end the federal court’s now decade-long oversight of the county jail. Fresnoland
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
U.S. Rep. Jim Costa declined to answer questions about a six-year-old ethics investigation. The Fresno Bee
Stricter CalFresh benefits kicked in Monday. YourCentralValley
A Fresno State student ensemble will perform at one of the world’s largest clarinet conferences this summer. KVPR
California’s top cop came to Fresno early Monday to celebrate a massive joint investigation centering around Fresno-area gang activity that resulted in 69 arrests and the seizure of dozens of guns, weapons, narcotics and almost $156,000 in cash. KMPH
A former political opponent is apparently behind an anti-Joaquin Arambula website launched just days before Tuesday’s primary. The Fresno Bee
California lawmakers unanimously extended and expanded the Distressed Hospital Loan Program through 2035. The Business Journal
Clovis City Council members declined to give themselves a raise. ABC30
Block Beat
Southwest: Voters in southwest Fresno are likely at least two years away from obtaining a second vote center. Fresnoland
Downtown: A long-stalled downtown housing project is one step closer to finally breaking ground after securing the tens of millions of dollars needed from the bond market to begin construction. Fresnoland
Southeast: Mayor Jerry Dyer talks SEDA with KVPR. Central Valley Daily
Reedley: A federal funding cut is creating uncertainty for students in the college’s Flight Sciences Program. KMPH
Southeast: 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
Fresno State: The fourth annual Latinx High School Celebración honors high school graduates from across Fresno Unified at 10 a.m. Sunday, June 7 at the Save Mart Center Instagram
Downtown: Store owners are frustrated with construction delays and rising parking costs they say is making it even more difficult to make ends meet in downtown Fresno. Business Journal
Southwest: Amazon has been confirmed as the first tenant at Fresno’s Westgate Industrial Center near Highway 99 and Marks Avenue. Business Journal
Downtown: You’re invited to a panel conversation at 7 p.m. June 11 during Arte América’s “Arte, Pero Later,” moderated by Fresnoland founder and editor-in-chief Danielle Bergstrom and featuring affordable housing developer Betsy McGovern-Garcia, Fresno County Public Health Director Joe Prado, and “Shaan Punjab Di” radio host and Fresno Planning Commissioner Gurdeep Shergill. Fresnoland
Clovis: The Flat Track Museum shows visitors the history of flat track motorcycle racing. YourCentralValley
Downtown: ZZ Top is coming to Fresno this summer! YourCentralValley
