Fresno City Council elects Nelson Esparza as new council president, Tyler Maxwell as vice president

FRESNO, Calif. (KFSN) — The Fresno City Council now has new leadership following a unanimous vote on Thursday.

Councilmembers elected Nelson Esparza as Council President, a role he previously served years ago.

The Council also elected Tyler Maxwell as Vice President, confirming new leadership of the body that will last through 2026.

Late last week, Mike Karbassi announced he would be stepping down from his role as president.

He is campaigning for a seat on the Fresno County Board of Supervisors.

President Esparza said he looks forward to the work ahead.

“I have done this before but the council is different now, there’s new faces and new personalities and new conflicts that arise between us,” Esparza said. “I will do my best to calibrate and adapt to all of that and keep things as orderly as we can.”

Karbassi gifted Esparza a ceremonial gavel, while Esparza presented Karbassi with a belt for serving as president.

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