Fresno City Council President Nelson Esparza speaks at a news conference at Fresno City Hall on Friday, where he promoted his proposed No Debt on Development Act. Photo by Frank Lopez
published on July 24, 2026 – 4:02 PM
Written by Frank Lopez
Fresno City Council President Nelson Esparza wants voters to decide in November whether to restrict how city funds can be used to finance projects in the Southeast Development Area, or SEDA.
Esparza held a solo news conference Friday at Fresno City Hall to promote his proposed “No Debt on Development Act,” one of several measures he has grouped under what he calls “Good Governance Reforms.”
SEDA is Fresno’s long-planned expansion area on the city’s southeastern edge, encompassing roughly 9,000 acres designated for future residential, commercial, industrial and employment growth.
The proposal would prohibit the city from using general fund revenues or waiving development impact fees to subsidize development in SEDA. Esparza said the goal is to ensure developers, rather than taxpayers, bear the cost of new construction.
“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.
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.
While Fresno’s continued growth is important, Esparza said future development must occur in a fiscally responsible manner.
The measure would apply to roughly 7,000 of the approximately 9,000 acres included in SEDA. It would not affect the southern portion of the plan, 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.
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.
Esparza argued the city cannot afford to subsidize major development projects while it continues investing in established neighborhoods and Fresno’s urban core, adding that Fresno has balanced economic development with residential growth where market demand exists.