Fresno County residents will decide on a half-cent sales tax for transportation improvements this November after a judge ruled the legislation forcing the measure onto the ballot is valid. The Fresno County Superior Court upheld Assembly Bill 1923, a law signed by Gov. Gavin Newsom that supersedes the county Board of Supervisors' authority to decide what tax measures appear before voters.
The proposed tax, known as the Better Roads, Safe Streets initiative, aims to fund road and other transportation projects. The county Board of Supervisors had opposed the measure, labeling AB 1923 as state overreach and attempting to delay its placement on the ballot. In a statement, Fresno County Board Chairman Garry Bredefeld criticized the law, stating, "This is about whether Fresno County governs itself or whether political power and Sacramento connections can be used to overrule us whenever local voters and their representatives refuse to fall in line."
Supervisors had previously ordered a 30-day review of the citizen-initiated Measure S, which critics claimed was an attempt to push the vote past the November election. Supporters of the tax then lobbied state lawmakers, leading to the passage of AB 1923.
Bredefeld expressed his opposition to the measure's spending rules, characterizing them as too supportive of public transportation and not enough in favor of cars. He further alleged that the process involved "unbridled corruption" and that the county was specifically targeted by the legislation out of all 58 counties in California. The county has stated it will not appeal the court's decision.
Assemblymember Esmeralda Soria, the author of AB 1923, praised the court's ruling, emphasizing that voters have a constitutional right to decide on the transportation measure. Her office stated, "It’s time to move on. Fresno County has plenty of other issues it needs to focus on."
The legal dispute has created potential confusion for voters, as the city of Fresno had also placed a general tax on the ballot as a backup measure. This city tax proposal is contingent on not being superseded by a countywide tax like Measure S.
Both Measure S and the city's tax proposal will now appear before Fresno County voters in November. Community and social justice groups supporting Measure S, along with county officials opposing it, are expected to campaign for their respective positions in the coming months.