FRESNO, Calif. (FOX26) — A proposed ballot measure backed by Fresno city leaders aims to steer existing local road tax dollars toward long-delayed street repairs without raising taxes.

A proposed ballot measure backed by Fresno city leaders aims to steer existing local road tax dollars toward long-delayed street repairs without raising taxes (FOX26).

Drivers in Fresno County have complained about rough, cracked streets for decades.

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“I love Fresno, except for the pot holes,” Lou Ferrigno, ‘Incredible Hulk’ actor, said in 2024.

In southeast Fresno, neighbors say road conditions have worsened over time.

Video from five years ago compared with current footage shows the same stretch of roadway with more visible wear, cracking and uneven pavement.

Video from five years ago compared with current footage shows the same stretch of roadway with more visible wear, cracking and uneven pavement (FOX26).

Albert Maza Espinoza, who lives in the area, said the damage is hard on drivers.

“You can be driving and then ‘BOOM,’ you hear a huge sound from the car coming up the road,” Espinoza said. “The road is really old as well, so it’s crumbling and it’s unbreaking uneven, so you get those little bumps in the ground and it sucks to drive on those.”

For years, Fresno has used revenue from “Measure C” to fund road projects, but the measure limits how that money can be spent.

A new proposal, called “Better Roads Safe Streets,” seeks to keep the existing half-cent tax tied to “Measure C” and change how the money is allocated within Fresno County.

“This measure is simply putting local road tax dollars to fix local roads,” Councilmember Miguel Arias, who represents Fresno’s District Three, said,

Mayor Jerry Dyer said the need is urgent, citing major backlogs in basic infrastructure maintenance.

“With $1.2 billion in deferred road maintenance in our city and another $300 million in deferred sidewalk maintenance, this measure will be a lifesaver and a game changer for the city of Fresno,” Mayor Dyer said.

Mayor Dyer said the measure would provide an average of $75 million a year to the city of Fresno specifically to fix local roads that have gone untouched for decades.

Councilmember Tyler Maxwell, who represents Fresno’s District Four, said the long-term neglect has taken a toll on neighbors who have paid into the system for years.

“That is unacceptable for a family that’s been living in the city paying tax dollars all their life to have their streets go unpaved, their sidewalks unpaved, trees untrimmed and in state of disrepair for generations, literal generations,” Maxwell said.

It remains unclear whether the proposal will make the November ballot.

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Supporters needed to collect a required number of signatures, but the Fresno County registrar of voters recently reported finding duplicate signatures.

Mayor Dyer said the city will be talking with the county soon about getting the measure on the November ballot.

“Measure C” was first passed in 1986 and renewed in 2006. It is set to expire next year.