FRESNO CO, Calif. (FOX26) — A judge has ruled in favor of Measure S, the proposed “Better Roads, Safer Streets” measure seeking a spot on the Fresno County ballot.
The ruling came Monday after a hearing Friday over whether the measure could move forward.
The judge had said a decision would be issued by noon Monday, Aug. 31, giving either side time to appeal before the Sept. 3 ballot deadline.
Measure S proposes a half-cent sales tax to fund road repairs, public transit and other transportation projects across Fresno County.
Vote Yes on Measure S today celebrated a Fresno County Superior Court ruling confirming Measure S — the Better Roads, Safe Streets citizen-led initiative — will appear on the November 3, 2026, ballot, as the voters of Fresno County intended and the Legislature affirmed when it passed AB 1923 to protect the measure from procedural delay.
The ruling clears the last obstacle standing between Fresno County voters and their opportunity to decide the future of local transportation funding this fall.
“This is a victory for the tens of thousands of Fresno County voters who signed the petition to put this measure on the ballot, and for every voter who deserves the chance to decide whether they want to continue to fund critical investments in public safety by repairing badly damaged roads, fixing dangerous intersections, and upgrading traffic signals” the campaign stated. “The court saw what was plain all along: Measure S qualified fair and square, and it should be voters – not politicians – who have the final say on how their tax dollars are spent. Today’s ruling ensures that Fresno County voters get to decide for themselves whether to extend local funding for transportation projects.”
Measure S will succeed the County’s existing Measure C dedicated transportation funding, which expires in June 2027.
The initiative petition gathered more than 32,000 signatures, well above the 21,900 required to qualify.
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The Board’s decision had the result of preventing the citizens of Fresno County
from exercising their democratic right to vote on an issue of significant financial
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