Fresno Voters Face Two Sales Tax Measures—But Only One Can Actually Take Effect
Fresno voters this November will decide on two half-cent sales taxes meant to replace the expiring Measure C transportation tax — but the ballot structure means only one can actually go into effect, and if both fail, the county loses $54 million annually in transit and road funding when Measure C sunsets July 1, 2027.
Measure D is a city-only general sales tax that would generate an estimated $65 million per year and drop into the city’s general fund with no required spending plan. Measure S is a countywide transportation-specific tax projected to bring in $120 million annually, with 65% earmarked for local streets and roads and 25% for public transit.
The conditional structure: if Measure S passes, Measure D does not take effect regardless of Measure D’s vote count. If Measure S fails and Measure D passes, the city collects Measure D revenue starting the day after Measure C expires. If both fail, Fresno County’s sales tax drops to 8.35% and the county’s funding for transit operations and road improvements collapses.
Mayor Jerry Dyer and six of seven council members voted to place Measure D on the ballot this summer after the Board of Supervisors initially blocked Measure S from appearing — a backstop in case the county measure didn’t make it or didn’t pass. Councilmember Annalisa Perea voted against Measure D, calling it a “blank check” without a spending plan. By the time Measure S secured ballot access through a court case and legislative intervention, the deadline to pull Measure D had passed.
Dyer has urged voters to support both measures. City proponents named their committee “Driving a Safer Fresno — Yes on D,” but California law prohibits earmarking general-tax revenue to a specific purpose when it goes before voters, so the actual allocation would be decided by the mayor and council each year during the budget process with no voter lock-in.
Measure D would sunset after 10 years if it takes effect. Measure S would run for 40 years and includes defined allocation percentages, independent audits, and citizen oversight with specifics written into the measure itself.
The Breakdown
- Measure D: City of Fresno only, general fund with no required spending plan, $65 million/year estimated, 10-year term, does not take effect if Measure S passes.
- Measure S: Fresno County-wide, dedicated transportation spending (65% local streets/roads, 25% transit, remainder regional highways/innovation/airport/administration), $120 million/year estimated, 40-year term, supersedes Measure D if it passes.
- The existing Measure C tax expires July 1, 2027 — if neither replacement passes, the county loses $54 million annually in transit and road funding that day.
- Sales tax stays at 8.35% in every scenario where at least one measure passes — no increase to the current rate.
What This Means for You
You’re voting on which funding structure you trust more, and whether you’ll accept a general-fund tax with no spending guarantee as insurance against losing transit and road money entirely. If you vote yes on Measure S and it passes, Measure D becomes irrelevant no matter how you voted on it.
If you vote no on both, or yes only on Measure D and Measure S fails, the county goes without the $54 million annually in dedicated transportation funding starting next July. The city council you elect controls how any Measure D revenue actually gets spent each year; the Measure S allocation percentages are locked in by the ballot language itself and can’t be redirected by a future council or board.
Your vote determines which of those structures, if either, replaces a funding stream that has funded transportation projects for three decades and expires in seven months.
What You Can Do
Vote on Measure D and Measure S by November 5. Early voting is open now. Both measures require a simple majority to pass. Check your voter registration and find your polling location at voterfresno.com.
