Fresno Mayor Jerry Dyer and several city council members on Thursday announced support for a 30-year November ballot measure they say would fund long-term road repairs, sidewalks, and transportation upgrades across Fresno County.
Council Vice President Tyler Maxwell described residents in parts of Fresno who have resorted to filling potholes themselves and said the measure would allow “complete streets” upgrades rather than piecemeal repairs.
Dyer was joined at a City Hall news conference by Council Vice President Tyler Maxwell, Councilmember Miguel Arias, and Councilmember Nick Richardson in backing the “Better Roads, Safe Streets” measure, which would replace the county’s existing half-cent sales tax tied to road funding, Measure C.
The City Council unanimously passed a resolution in support of the measure at its meeting Thursday.
At the news conference, officials said it would generate billions of dollars over several decades, with funding directed toward road reconstruction, sidewalk improvements, transit, and pedestrian safety projects.
Dyer said the measure would dedicate roughly 65% of funds to local roads, including streets, alleys, sidewalks and median islands. He said the proposal would generate about $7.3 billion to $7.4 billion for the county over 30 years, averaging roughly $75 million annually for road work.
“This measure will be a lifesaver and game changer for the city of Fresno,” Dyer said.
He also said the plan would allow the city to address a large backlog of deferred maintenance, including an estimated $1.2 billion in roads and $300 million in sidewalks.
Fresno Mayor Says the Measure Will Bring ‘Long-Term Solutions’
“This is not about making pothole repairs,” Dyer said. “This is about long-term solutions to long-term problems that we have experienced in our city.”
Maxwell pointed to aging neighborhoods and deteriorating infrastructure, saying some streets have gone decades without major reconstruction. He described residents in parts of Fresno who have resorted to filling potholes themselves and said the measure would allow “complete streets” upgrades rather than piecemeal repairs.
Arias said the proposal would shift local tax dollars back to neighborhood infrastructure rather than regional freeway projects, arguing that cities have historically had limited tools to fully rebuild streets under existing funding rules. He said the new measure would allow jurisdictions to address curbs, gutters, sidewalks, ADA ramps, and drainage as part of full roadway reconstruction.
Richardson, describing himself as a fiscal conservative, said he typically opposes new taxes but supports the measure because it continues an existing sales tax. He said the region has long lacked state-level prioritization for local infrastructure needs and argued the proposal would allow Fresno to take greater responsibility for its own roads.
Measure Would Support Safe Routes to Schools, Officials Said
Officials also said the measure would support safe routes to schools, pedestrian, and cyclist safety improvements, and transit infrastructure as ridership increases. City leaders said Fresno’s transit system had more than $10 million passengers in the past year.
The proposal still must qualify for the November ballot, which city officials said they expect to happen later this summer.
Dyer said if the measure does not pass, the city would face significant funding shortfalls for road maintenance and may have to divert money from other departments such as public safety and parks to address infrastructure needs.
Campaign Says Measure Would Extend Existing Tax
“Better Roads, Safe Streets” campaign spokesperson Michael Lukens said the campaign developed the proposal after extensive public outreach, during which residents consistently identified fixing local roads as the top priority.
“Fix the streets in front of our houses, make them safer (was the message),” Lukens said.
He said while some funding would go to regional highway projects, the emphasis would be on neighborhood streets, road safety, and school routes. In addition, there would be funding for projects supporting business access and freight movement.
Lukens said the campaign submitted about 32,000 signatures, above the roughly 22,000 needed for ballot qualification. He expressed confidence the measure will reach the November ballot pending the county’s verification of the signatures.
Review of Signatures Is Ongoing, Clerk’s Office Says
Fresno County Clerk and Registrar of Voters James Kus said the “Better Roads, Safe Streets” initiative remains under review.
Kus said the petition did not meet a higher standard used during an initial random sample review process, which operates on a faster timeline than a full verification. He said that determination automatically triggered a full signature review, which is underway.
The full review must be completed by mid-August, Kus said, although officials hope to finish in time for a July 14 Fresno County Board of Supervisors meeting. He noted that the June Primary Election and multiple statewide petitions have stretched election office resources, affecting review timelines.
Kus said staff will be shifted to petition verification as the election-related workload decreases.
“It is still possible for the initiative to qualify for the November ballot,” Kus said.
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