Fresno County Library Privatization Lacks Votes to Pass — For Now

Your county library system could be handed over to a private company — but the Board of Supervisors doesn’t have the votes to make it happen, at least not yet.

Conversations about privatizing Fresno County’s library system are heating up ahead of a potential presentation as soon as Oct. 20, but supporters of the idea face a steep climb: they need four of five supervisors to approve it, and right now they don’t have the support.

Board Chair Garry Bredefeld initiated the privatization talks earlier this year, asking county staff to study whether a private company could run the libraries more cheaply. The county is now talking with Library Systems & Services, the same firm that pitched a plan in 2023 claiming it could save Fresno $7-9 million a year through a 10-year contract.

But the board’s two Democratic supervisors — Luis Chavez and Brian Pacheco — are already flatly opposed. Pacheco’s office told reporters Friday he is “not in favor of privatizing the libraries, period.”

That means privatization supporters would need all three Republican supervisors to vote yes. Right now, they don’t have that either. Bredefeld himself told reporters his mind isn’t made up: “I’m not committed to anything simply because I asked for a report.” Supervisor Nathan Magsig said he’s undecided and wants to see what county staff presents first.

Supervisor Buddy Mendes said in June “there are no sacred cows” when asked about privatization, but he hasn’t committed to a yes vote either.

Chavez told residents at a private town hall Thursday night — attended by about 50 people, many of them library workers and users — that he doesn’t expect the county to privatize anytime soon, given the math.

J. Butterfield, who has worked for Fresno County Library for 19 years, was at that meeting. “I think people got pretty mad and they’re fired up,” Butterfield said Friday. She expects a strong turnout from residents whenever the board takes up the issue publicly.

Bredefeld has been critical of what he calls “political agendas” in the library, though he didn’t specify what he meant. He said he wants the county’s analysis to show whether privatization “makes sense” financially and whether a private company could provide better service than the current system.

Magsig said he wants to make sure “no member from the community is cut out” and that the library continues to provide “free access to the public for information.”

The politics of this fight could shift after 2026. Two new supervisors will join the board in 2027 — Margaret Mims, replacing Mendes, and either Fresno City Councilmember Mike Karbassi or Kerman Mayor Maria Pacheco, replacing Brian Pacheco — and their positions on privatization aren’t yet known.

Library privatization has become a flashpoint in conservative-leaning communities. Voters in Huntington Beach, a Republican stronghold in Southern California, rejected library privatization in a 2025 special election.

The Fresno County discussion comes as the library system prepares for a bigger fight: renewing Measure B, the nearly 30-year-old one-eighth-cent sales tax that funds much of the library’s operations. That tax is up for renewal in 2028. Voters overwhelmingly approved renewing it in 2012.

Chavez pointed to that support as a signal that residents value the library as it is. “Our community had a lot of buy-in in the library system,” he said. “I think we should honor that as elected officials.”

The library’s Central Library location in downtown Fresno is currently being remodeled, and new libraries are under construction in Clovis and Reedley.

The Breakdown

• Board Chair Garry Bredefeld asked county staff earlier this year to study whether a private company could run Fresno County’s library system more cheaply than the county does now.
• The county is in talks with Library Systems & Services, which claimed in a 2023 pitch it could save the county $7-9 million annually under a 10-year contract.
• Privatization requires a supermajority vote — four of five supervisors must approve it.
• The board’s two Democratic supervisors, Luis Chavez and Brian Pacheco, are already opposed. That means supporters would need all three Republicans to vote yes.
• Right now, they don’t have that: Bredefeld himself says his mind isn’t made up, Supervisor Nathan Magsig is waiting to see county staff’s analysis, and Supervisor Buddy Mendes hasn’t committed either way.
• A presentation on the privatization study could come as soon as the board’s Oct. 20 meeting, but there’s no set timeline for a vote.

What This Means for You

The five people you elected to run Fresno County are deciding whether to hand your library system to a private company. That’s not an abstract policy debate. It’s a decision about who controls a public resource your family uses, how it’s staffed, what programs it offers, and whether the priorities that guide it are set by your elected representatives or by a company.

And in 2028, you’ll get another vote: whether to renew Measure B, the sales tax that funds most of the library’s operations.

What You Can Do

Supervisor Luis Chavez said the board could hold an informational presentation on privatization as soon as its Oct. 20 meeting, though no date is final yet. That meeting will be your first chance to hear what county staff is recommending and to speak during public comment. Board of Supervisors meetings are open to the public.

You can also contact your supervisor directly before any vote happens. Find your district and your supervisor’s contact information at the county’s website.

What to Watch

Library Systems & Services claimed in 2023 that privatization could save $7-9 million a year — but no one has explained yet what that means in practice. The question residents should be asking isn’t just “could this save money,” but “what are we losing to get there?”

Bredefeld has said he’s concerned about “political agendas” in the library, but he hasn’t said what that means.

And finally: two new supervisors will join the board in 2027, and their positions on this aren’t known yet. If privatization supporters don’t have the votes now, they may be waiting to see whether the next board gives them a better shot. That means this fight isn’t over just because it stalls in 2026.