Measure S Early Count Shows Rejection; $7.4 Billion Transportation Tax Behind in First Returns

Fresno County’s Measure S, a half-cent sales tax projected to raise $7.4 billion over 30 years for road repairs and transportation infrastructure, trailed in initial returns Tuesday night. The measure replaces Measure C, the county’s transportation tax since 1987, which expires June 30, 2027.

The measure needs a simple majority to pass. It qualified for the ballot as a citizens’ initiative after supporters submitted 32,000 petition signatures — clearing the 21,909 threshold.

Measure S keeps the half-cent rate unchanged from Measure C. If it passes, the tax takes effect July 1, 2027. If it fails, the tax disappears and Fresno County’s sales tax drops by half a cent.

The Breakdown

• The rate: Half a cent per dollar, identical to Measure C, which has been in place since 1986.
• The timeline: 30 years, beginning July 1, 2027.
• The revenue: An estimated $5.6 billion to $7.4 billion over the full term, all designated for transportation.
• Where the money goes: 65% to neighborhood road repairs, with priority given to the worst roads first. 25% to public transit, including free fares for students, seniors 62 and older, veterans, active-duty military, people with disabilities, and children. 4% to regional road and highway projects selected through competitive grants. 4% to free transit fares and technology upgrades. 2% split between administration and Fresno Yosemite International Airport.
• The accountability structure: An 11-member citizens oversight committee, with politicians and agency employees barred. Annual independent audits, posted online. Cities must bring their roads to an average Pavement Condition Index score of 70 out of 100 — “good” condition — before spending Measure S money on road widening, and even then can spend no more than 5% per year on widening.
• School safety requirement: Each city and the county must adopt a plan to reduce serious injuries and deaths within a mile of schools, after at least three public meetings, by July 2029. Jurisdictions that fail to complete the plan lose their entire share of neighborhood road money.
• Jobs: A campaign-commissioned economic analysis estimates 68,000 job-years supported over 30 years, about 40,000 directly, with $5.1 billion in total wages.

What This Means for You

Your vote on Measure S determines whether Fresno County keeps funding road repairs and public transit at all after mid-2027. A “yes” vote continues the tax you already pay, with new spending rules that tie money to measurable road-quality targets and require cities to fix neighborhood streets before widening roads. A “no” vote ends the tax, cutting your sales rate by half a cent but eliminating the county’s main source of road and transit funding.

The City of Fresno has a backup on the same ballot — Measure D, a half-cent general tax for the city only, which would end if Measure S passes. If both fail, Fresno loses its transportation funding entirely starting July 2027.

Who Supports It, Who Opposes It

• Supporters: 11 of Fresno County’s 15 mayors, Fresno Mayor Jerry Dyer, the Central Valley Community Foundation, the North Coast States Regional Council of Carpenters, and the Fund for a Better Future. The Yes on S campaign raised $2.7 million, with $1.1 million from the Central Valley Community Foundation. Supporters say the measure fixes roads with more transparency than Measure C, prioritizes neighborhoods over sprawl, and keeps transit running.
• Opponents: Fresno County Board of Supervisors Chair Garry Bredefeld, retiring Supervisor Buddy Mendes, developer Richard Spencer, and Bonadelle Homes. The No on S campaign raised $80,000. Bredefeld called the measure “a scam” and “a public transportation tax disguised as a roads tax,” falsely claiming it won’t address the road maintenance backlog. Opponents also argue the measure’s requirement that cities fix local roads before building new ones near growth areas would harm the region’s economic development.

What to Watch

The Central Valley Community Foundation contributed $1.1 million of the $2.7 million raised by the Yes campaign — 41% of total donations. The foundation is led by former Fresno Mayor Ashley Swearengin.

The measure bans politicians and agency employees from the citizens oversight committee, but does not bar nonprofit executives, developers, or others with a financial stake in how the money is spent.

Measure S projects 68,000 job-years supported over 30 years. The measure requires the Fresno Council of Governments to set “local hiring and contracting goals” by July 2029, but a goal is not a requirement.

The 65% dedicated to neighborhood roads must follow a “worst first” approach using Pavement Condition Index scores.

If a city fails to adopt the required school-safety plan by July 2029, it loses all of its neighborhood road money.

Opponents funded by developers — Richard Spencer, Bonadelle Homes — argue the measure would slow growth by requiring cities to fix existing roads before building new ones near development areas.

Related Coverage

• Fresno County Transportation Tax Renewal Would Lock In $7.4 Billion Over 30 Years — With New Limits On How Cities Can Spend It
• Republican Mayors Lead Charge for Measure S Transportation Tax Despite Party Split
• Fresno Mayor Dyer Condemns Federal Immigration Sweeps as Threat to Community Trust and Local Economy