Selma council weighs local sales‑tax options as Measure C faces expiration
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Summary
City staff and consultant DKS laid out options if Fresno County’s Measure C revenues lapse in 2027: a city half‑cent transportation tax, a three‑quarter‑cent general “quality of life” tax, or waiting on November’s county results and polling. Council favored monitoring and polling before acting.
Selma City Council members on Feb. 3 heard a detailed briefing on options for replacing or supplementing county Measure C transportation revenue that is scheduled to expire April 1, 2027.
Kendall Flint, regional director of communications and strategic planning for DKS Associates, told the council the loss of Measure C money would remove about $1.7 million a year from Selma’s transportation budget. Flint said the countywide process is currently contested: “A separate citizens initiative by Transportation for All is being circulated, and there is a possible competing measure. When two competing measures go on a ballot, both often fail,” she said.
Flint outlined three primary local options: a city half‑cent special tax dedicated to transportation; a three‑quarter‑cent general tax that could fund a broader “quality of life” package including streets, parks and public safety; or delaying a city measure until after the November election and, if needed, calling a special election in the spring. She noted legal constraints, including the California cap on locally generated sales taxes and the differing approval thresholds for special taxes (two‑thirds voter approval) versus general taxes (simple majority).
Flint also gave practical figures to help councilors weigh choices: a three‑quarter‑cent measure could generate “over $4,000,000 a year” for the city on its own, and paired with Measure C could raise Selma’s local receipts to roughly $6 million annually. She estimated polling to cost about $28,000–$31,000 and a city special election roughly $30,000 for a city of Selma’s size.
Council members and residents raised timing and voter fatigue concerns. Reese Salas asked whether a new city measure would affect Measure S, Selma’s separate police and fire special tax; City Manager David answered that Measure S would remain distinct and not be folded into a new general tax. Several council members recommended waiting for November’s results on county measures and conducting statistically valid polling first.
Mayor Robertson and other councilors asked staff to continue monitoring county activity and to prepare a polling plan and draft expenditure framework if polling shows viability. No formal motion to place a local measure on the ballot was made at the meeting.