Arias\u2019 pr<\/a>oposal<\/a> directs the city\u2019s administration to create an all-in-one online, searchable transparency page on the City of Fresno\u2019s website, where all contracts worth $100,000 or less would be listed, along with their amounts.<\/p>\n The transparency page would also lay out all lobbyist contracts, a list of all lobbyists registered with the city and disclosure forms for city officials\u2019 economic interests \u2014 also known as California\u2019s Form 700<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cThis will ensure the policy is crystal clear going forward and the public\u2019s ability to access this information doesn\u2019t take nearly a year, as experienced by Fresnoland<\/a>,\u201d Arias said.<\/p>\n Originally, Arias said he\u2019d support reforming the city\u2019s transparency, such that all no-bid contracts<\/a>, not just those worth $100,000 or less, are accessibly listed on the city\u2019s website. Four other councilmembers<\/a> also told Fresnoland that.\u00a0<\/p>\n The current draft of the policy does not require that level of transparency.<\/p>\n Arias also said the proposal would expressly bar city officials from entering into multiple contracts with a single consultant worth $100,000 or less \u2014 the sum of which in a single fiscal year is greater than the city\u2019s $100,000 contracts threshold<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\n Only city contracts greater than $100,000 require Fresno City Council approval. Fresnoland\u2019s Jan. 7 investigation found that city officials have regularly handed out millions in government contracts worth $100,000 or less<\/a> \u2014 and the public has no way to see how many get handed out.\u00a0<\/p>\n Additionally, Fresnoland found at least a dozen examples of the same consultant<\/a> ending up with multiple contracts worth $100,000 in a single fiscal year, whose total sum was greater than the city\u2019s contracts threshold.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cIf it wasn\u2019t for Fresnoland\u2019s reporting, the full city council and the public wouldn\u2019t have known about contracts that were signed and exceeded the contracts limit, in violation of the municipal code as confirmed by our legal counsel<\/a>,\u201d Arias told Fresnoland.<\/p>\n What about the \u2018pass-through expenses\u2019 loophole?<\/p>\n For years, former Councilmember Luis Chavez entered into under-threshold contracts with a company run by political consultant Alex Tavlian using public money.\u00a0<\/p>\n Fresnoland found that Chavez\u2019s council office paid Tavlian\u2019s company more money than the city\u2019s contracts threshold, even though they never went before the Fresno City Council for approval<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\n Chavez did that three years in a row<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\n Additionally, Fresnoland found that the City of Fresno was using an internal legal interpretation to exempt \u201cpass-through expenses\u201d from the city\u2019s contracts threshold, as opposed to Fresno city code<\/a>, policies approved by the city council<\/a>, or the city\u2019s administrative orders<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\n City Manager Georgeanne White told Fresnoland that Chavez\u2019s use of more than $31,000 of public funds for Facebook ads didn\u2019t count toward the city\u2019s contracts threshold<\/a>. Another city official clarified that\u2019s because they were seen as pass-through expenses<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\n According to the current draft of Arias\u2019 policy, pass-through expenses would be subject to the city\u2019s contracts threshold, closing what he referred to as a loophole in city policy<\/a>. It essentially allows a councilmember to use an unlimited amount of taxpayer money for social media ads as long as they were reimbursements to an outside consultant for pass-through expenses.<\/p>\n Arias told Fresnoland that the policy will also include a blackout period blocking top city officials from using city funds for print or digital advertisements six months before an election they\u2019re participating in \u2014 either a ballot measure or a specific political race.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cI am confident these changes will reduce the likelihood of a recurrence of the actions identified through Fresnoland\u2019s reporting, and addressed by the City Attorney,\u201d Arias said.<\/p>\n It\u2019s unclear how much support Arias\u2019 proposal will receive, although it\u2019s slated for discussion at the Jan. 29 city council meeting next week.\u00a0<\/p>\n In a press conference on Jan. 7, hours after Fresnoland\u2019s investigation was published, Councilmembers Brandon Vang and Nick Richardson promised to take action to reform city policies.<\/p>\n Another city leader seeks to revise city policy in private<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/IMG_0970.jpg\")
Fresno City Council President Mike Karbassi speaks during a June 10, 2025 budget hearing. Omar Rashad | Fresnoland<\/p>\n