FRESNO, Calif. (FOX26) — A half-cent sales tax is headed to Fresno voters after the City Council voted Thursday to place the measure on the November ballot.
City leaders say the tax would help offset the loss of funding when the countywide Measure C transportation sales tax expires next year, allowing the city to maintain roads and other infrastructure while avoiding widespread layoffs.
This is a stopgap to having to lay employees off,
Mayor Jerry Dyer explained.
Council President Nelson Esparza said the measure was written as a general tax because it allows for it to pass with a simple majority of voters.
Because it is a general tax, the revenue will go into the city’s general fund rather than being legally restricted to transportation or infrastructure projects.
The measure passed on a 6-1 vote, with Councilmember Annalisa Perea casting the lone dissenting vote.
The proposal comes after the Fresno County Board of Supervisors delayed action on the countywide Better Roads, Safe Streets initiative. City leaders said the delay left them with little time to pursue an alternative before the November ballot deadline.