Esparza Proposes Ballot Measure to Block City Funding for SEDA Development

Fresno City Council President Nelson Esparza announced Friday he will ask the City Council to place a measure on the November 2026 ballot that would prohibit the city from using general fund money or waiving development fees to subsidize projects in the Southeast Development Area.

The proposal, called the “No Debt on Development Act,” targets SEDA — Fresno’s planned 9,000-acre expansion area on the city’s southeastern edge designated for residential, commercial, industrial and employment growth. Esparza held a news conference at Fresno City Hall to promote the measure, which he has grouped under what he calls “Good Governance Reforms.”

Under the proposal, developers rather than taxpayers would bear the cost of new construction in SEDA. “Simply put, if the City of Fresno is to eventually adopt a version of the SEDA specific plan and landowners wish to proceed to develop it, this measure effectively mandates that they do so by committing their own financial resources or utilize one of many specifically dedicated financing mechanisms that do not come at the expense of city residents and their tax dollars,” Esparza said.

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The measure would apply to roughly 7,000 of the 9,000 SEDA acres and would not affect the southern portion where about 4,800 homes are proposed. Esparza said public concern is focused on the eastern portion of SEDA, while the western side has already received significant investment.

Esparza plans to bring the proposal before the City Council on July 30. The deadline for placing measures on the November 2026 ballot is Aug. 7. Mayor Jerry Dyer could veto the measure, according to GV Wire.

“I’ve been very clear that having these fiscal guardrails is going to be a critically important component of SEDA if I were to approve any version of it,” Esparza said. He argued the city cannot afford to subsidize major development projects while it continues investing in established neighborhoods and Fresno’s urban core.

The Breakdown

• The measure would prohibit Fresno from using general fund revenues to subsidize SEDA development
• It would also bar the city from waiving development impact fees in SEDA
• The restrictions would apply to roughly 7,000 of SEDA’s 9,000 acres
• The southern portion, where about 4,800 homes are planned, would not be affected
• The City Council will consider it July 30; the ballot deadline is Aug. 7
• Mayor Dyer could veto the measure

What This Means for You

If the measure passes the City Council and voters approve it in November 2026, Fresno would be legally prohibited from using general fund money to subsidize new development in most of SEDA. Developers would have to use their own funds or alternative financing mechanisms that don’t tap city tax dollars.