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Fresno County supervisors debate Measure C renewal allocation as cities and county dispute regional vs local shares
Summary
Staff presented competing allocation plans for a Measure C renewal, prompting supervisors and mayors to clash over whether the proposed plan shifts too much money to transit and cities while reducing funding for regional corridor projects; County Clerk outlined ballot and signature deadlines for citizen initiatives.
County staff and regional officials briefed the Board of Supervisors on competing proposals to renew Measure C, the countywide transportation sales tax, and the possible fiscal and programmatic consequences for cities, regional corridors and transit services.
Public works presenters contrasted the transportation team’s proposal (which staff described as allocating roughly 70% to local streets/roads, ~15% to regional roads and ~11% to transit in the example shown) against a steering committee alternative that would direct about 65% to local roads, 4% to regional projects and 25% to transit. Staff and multiple supervisors questioned the steering committee’s low regional allocation and cited implementation guidelines that would require additional project elements such as bike lanes on many projects, raising concerns about feasibility in rural areas.
Fresno Council of Governments Executive Director Robert Phipps and other transportation experts argued that regional projects are crucial for congestion relief and leveraging outside funds; he warned that shrinking the regional pot could forego substantial matching dollars. County critics said the steering committee version risks leaving county roadways and regional corridors unfunded.
County Clerk James Koos briefed supervisors on the process for placing a measure on the November ballot and for citizen initiatives: materials for a jurisdictional measure must be submitted to the clerk’s office by early August (the clerk cited an Aug. 7 statutory deadline, with an operational target of the board’s July meeting), and a countywide citizens’ initiative requires roughly 22,000 valid signatures (the clerk recommended collecting ~34,000 to allow for verification sampling and to speed review).
Mayors and other local leaders testified in favor of a plan that increases city and local road funding to address years of deferred maintenance in smaller communities. Opponents warned that placing two competing measures on the ballot — a jurisdictional supermajority measure and a citizens’ initiative requiring only a majority — could split votes and hurt prospects for either.
No vote to place a measure on the ballot occurred at this informational meeting; staff said implementation guidelines and steering committee work remain in progress and the COG policy board will consider final guidelines later in December.
