Fresno skyline — Photo: JMora24 — CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Fresno County supervisors, mayors launch campaign against Measure S transportation tax
Two Fresno County supervisors joined a group of Valley mayors Tuesday to formally oppose Measure S, the 30-year half-cent sales tax that will appear on the November ballot to fund transportation projects across the county.
County Board of Supervisors Chairman Garry Bredefeld and Supervisor Buddy Mendes stood alongside Clovis Mayor Pro Tem Diane Pearce, Reedley Mayor Matthew Tuttle, and former Fresno Unified Trustee Brooke Ashjian at a Clovis press conference to launch the “No on Measure S” campaign.
Ashjian called the measure “a scam” and compared the fight against it to David versus Goliath. He specifically criticized Central Valley Community Foundation leader Ashley Swearengin, who has been a major supporter of the initiative.
The measure would impose a 0.5 percent sales tax — the same rate as the expiring Measure C — starting in July 2027, immediately after Measure C expires. The tax would run for 30 years.
Bredefeld had already pledged to challenge the measure after Fresno County Judge Jonathan Skiles ruled against the county last month in its lawsuit against Assembly Bill 1923.
The Breakdown
- Measure S is a 30-year, half-cent (0.5%) sales tax that Fresno County voters will decide in November
- If passed, collection would begin July 2027, right when the current Measure C transportation tax expires
- The opposition campaign includes two county supervisors (Bredefeld and Mendes) and mayors from Clovis and Reedley
- Critics argue the measure doesn’t dedicate enough funding to road repair and directs too much money to nonprofits and transit
What This Means for You
You’ll be voting on Measure S this November, deciding whether to continue the same half-cent sales tax rate you’ve been paying under Measure C — but with a different plan for how that money gets spent. The debate centers on whether the measure dedicates enough funding to road repairs versus transit and nonprofit funding.
What You Can Do
Measure S will appear on your November ballot. The “No on Measure S” campaign launched this week will be making its case between now and Election Day.
What to Watch
The core dispute here is allocation: where does the money actually go? The opposition claims too much funding flows to nonprofits and buses, not enough to fixing roads.
