The clock struck midnight for the Fresno City Council to remove a tax measure from the November ballot. Or at least 5 p.m.
Four members of the city council no-showed a 3 p.m special meeting — called at least 24 hours in advance, the required time. Because of the lack of a quorum, the meeting could never officially start. One item was on the open meeting agenda, to remove a proposed city tax on the Nov. 3 ballot.
That means, as of the Wednesday, city of Fresno voters will see two local tax measures. However, a pending lawsuit could eliminate one.
The situation remains a logistical and political mess involving the council, county supervisors, state lawmakers, the governor, and the courts, as of today.
By state law, the Fresno City Council had until Wednesday to approve the removal of the city resolution, have Mayor Jerry Dyer sign the resolution, and physically submit it to the Fresno County election clerk. However, the clerk’s office closed at 5 p.m.
Miguel Arias, Brandon Vang and Nick Richardson attended. Annalisa Perea, Mike Karbassi, Tyler Maxwell and Nelson Esparza did not. A quorum requires at least four members.
Karbassi posted on his Instagram account that he had a “sudden, serious medical emergency affecting a member of his family.” City Clerk Amy Aller confirmed that she received an email message from Karbassi saying he had to miss the meeting.
Maxwell told The Bee: “Unfortunately, I had a preexisting commitment that did not allow me to be present at today’s meeting. It was my sincere hope that a conversation could have still taken place despite my absence.”
Perea said in a news release she was “disappointed that four of my colleagues called for a last-minute special meeting considering that this meeting could have been called for late last week. It clearly demonstrates a knee-jerk, sloppy maneuver that could negatively affect the very residents that they represent.”
She said the meeting impacted her travel schedule. She wanted to participate remotely, “however, the timing of this rushed public meeting did not allow us to meet legal noticing requirements that would have afforded me the opportunity to participate by Zoom. They owe the residents an apology.”
Esparza did not respond to The Bee’s request for comment.
Dozens attended, waiting to speak. After an hour, Ariana Martinez Lott — a Fresno City Council candidate — led chants expressing disapproval of four Fresno city councilmembers no showing.
They chanted “you called the meeting, we showed up,” “no on Dyer’s tax,” and “coward.”
Councilmembers only wanted one measure on November ballot
On Tuesday, the Fresno County Board of Supervisors voted to place the Better Roads, Safe Streets tax plan, which is a Measure C replacement, on the March 2028 ballot. But Fresno County Clerk/Registrar of Voters James Kus said state law mandated he place the measure on Nov. 3 this year.
Now known as Measure S, the half-cent countywide sales tax would be dedicated to transportation projects. The city-only half-cent measure would be a general tax, which could be spent in any fashion. Several members of the Fresno City Council and Dyer said publicly they wanted only one local tax measure on the ballot.
Fearing that the Better Roads, Safe Streets vote might be delayed until March 2028, Dyer and the Fresno City Council let stand the city version and now must live with it. Supporters have called it a prudent move in case the countywide version is blocked, but others say having two tax measures on the same ballot could alienate voters and scuttle both.
Four city councilmembers called for the special meeting — Arias, Maxwell, Vang and Richardson — 26 hours in advance. Normally, calling special meetings is the responsibility of the city council president.
The original plan was for the quorum of councilmembers to pull the city version and then rely on the legality of the countywide Better Roads, Safe Streets plan and voters to approve it.
Naindeep Singh and Lott Martinez, Fresno City Council candidates for District 1 and 7 respectively, called on the city to pull the measure. They called the city-only measure a “blank check” without guardrails. They spoke to the media at a news conference prior to the scheduled meeting time.
After the Fresno City Council meeting was officially canceled at 5 p.m., Arias agreed with the “blank check” argument. He said he would campaign to support Better Roads, Safe Streets and against the city measure.
Fresno City Attorney Andrew Janz said in a statement, “Given the totality of the circumstances and the lingering uncertainty, it makes sense that the Mayor and Council had a backup plan they are now using as a last and final resort.”
The latest step in tax saga
Wednesday’s scheduled vote was the latest step in the windy road to replace Measure C — the Fresno County transportation tax measure expiring June 30, 2027.
When the Better Roads, Safe Streets plan looked in doubt to make it to the Nov. 3 ballot, the Fresno City Council voted 6-1 on July 30 to place its own tax measure on the ballot. The half-cent tax would only apply for items sold within city limits, and only city residents would be able to vote.
The city-only measure carried a unique sunset clause — either 10 years or if a countywide tax measure passed, the city measure would cease.
When a state law bolstered the prospects that the Better Roads, Safe Streets plan would make it to the Nov. 3 ballot, there were calls for the city to withdraw its measure. Dyer had the first opportunity, by either not signing the resolution by the Aug. 7 deadline to place it on the ballot, or using his veto.
After changing his mind publicly several times during the week, Dyer signed, and the city submitted it with one hour to spare. Dyer explained that he could not risk having no measure on the ballot.
Kus said that even though the supervisors voted to place the Better Roads, Safe Streets measure on the March 2028 ballot, state law compelled him to place it in November. Better Roads, Safe Streets advocates called for the city to take action to withdraw.
Fresno County filed on Wednesday its promised lawsuit against being forced to hold the county tax election on Nov. 3. The lawsuit challenges the legality of the recently enacted state law, AB 1923. Naming the state, Fresno County Clerk/Registrar of Voters James Kus, and Dyer as defendants, the lawsuit is requesting an injunction that could take the measure off the November ballot.
Dyer is named because he is the official supporter of the Better Roads, Safe Streets initiative, along with Clovis Councilmember Lynne Ashbeck, Veronica Garibay of the Leadership Counsel for Justice and Accountability, and supporter Joan Eaton.
This story was originally published August 12, 2026 at 6:06 PM.
The Fresno Bee
David Taub joined the Fresno Bee in 2026 after reporting 10 years for digital publication GV Wire. He has worked in the Fresno market since 2007. Prior to moving to the Central Valley, he worked for TV and radio stations on the Central Coast. He has also worked behind the scenes in local TV and radio. During his career, he has covered City Hall, the state Capitol, the White House and several houses of government in between. When not in a reporting capacity, he works tracking stats for the Fresno Grizzlies as an official scorekeeper, and also with televised basketball and football games. He has worked the Super Bowl, NBA Finals, and several MLB games. Growing up in the San Francisco Bay Area, Taub is a die-hard Giants and 49ers fan. He graduated from the University of Michigan with dual degrees in communications and political science. Go Blue!