Fresno County supervisors sworn in; Bridal lays out budget, public-health and transparency priorities

Supervisor Gary Bridal, Supervisor Nathan Magsig and Supervisor Luis Chavez were formally sworn into office during the Fresno County Board of Supervisors’ Jan. 7 meeting in Fresno. Chairman Buddy Mendez administered parts of the proceedings and the three took oaths of office before family members and guests.

Bridal used his remarks after the oath to set out several priorities he said he will pursue in the coming term, and listed specific items he wants the board to address. “We’re dealing with $5,000,000,000 of taxpayer money, and they should and must be involved in how their money is being being spent,” Bridal said, calling for greater public presentation of departmental budgets. He told the board the public “should never be restricted to only 15 minutes to discuss any item on the agenda,” and said he will “oppose any efforts to restrict our citizens from addressing the board of supervisors to only 15 minutes.”

Bridal also criticized a county-supported program he described as distributing “20,000 free needles” and “crack pipes to drug addicts every weekend,” and said he “is strongly opposed to this program, and I will do everything to end it.” He raised concerns about a county interim health officer order that he said mandates annual influenza vaccinations for many health care personnel and requires badges or masking for the unvaccinated; he said some nurses have lost work because they refused a mandated shot and called for the order to be rescinded.

Supervisor Luis Chavez, who addressed the board after his oath, said door-to-door campaigning had shaped his view of constituent needs and emphasized his focus on homelessness, poverty and public-health access. “I knocked on 19,765 doors, but who’s counting?” Chavez said, adding he will work to be a voice for social workers and home-care providers with heavy caseloads and for neighbors in high-need ZIP codes.

Supervisor Nathan Magsig, the board’s immediate past chair, urged fellow supervisors to consider the entire county’s geography and population in decisions. “Fresno County is more than 1 city, we actually are 15 cities, we are an area that’s 6,000 square miles,” Magsig said, and urged priorities that place employees and core services ahead of capitol projects.

Why this matters: The sworn supervisors—through public pledges and opening remarks—laid out priorities that will shape budget hearings and policy debates this year. Bridal’s proposals around budget presentation, public comment rules and public-health mandates were presented as immediate agenda items; Chavez and Magsig emphasized services to vulnerable populations across the county.

Board members and several municipal officials attended the ceremony; the meeting moved on afterward to routine business including committee appointments and hearings.

Bridal’s remarks included several specific proposals and numbers: a call for department-level public budget presentations, opposition to a county-supported distribution program he tied to “1,000,000 needles” annually, and a statement that $41,000,000 has been set aside toward a new county building. Chavez and Magsig offered pledges to work collaboratively with city and county officials and to prioritize social services and county employees.

The oath and ceremonial remarks were followed by the board’s regular agenda, which included committee assignments and ordinance-code hearings scheduled for later this month.