The council makes decisions on the scope, direction and financing of city services, such as water, sewer, police and fire protection. They\u2019re also in charge of approving the city\u2019s four-billion annual budget that the Mayor prepares every spring.<\/p>\n
The council also establishes policy that is administered and implemented by city staff, as well as land-use policies through the General Plan and zoning regulations.<\/p>\n
Councilmembers serve four-year terms and have a two-term limit.<\/p>\n
As of January 2025<\/a>, councilmembers receive yearly compensation of $111,320. The council president is compensated at a rate 12.5% above that, or about $125,235.<\/p>\n Who is running in the District 1 Fresno City Council primary election?<\/p>\n Candidate: Monte Forkas<\/p>\n Job: Campaign consulting business owner, former flight attendant for SkyWest Airlines<\/p>\n Age: 58<\/p>\n Residency: Has lived in the Tower District for just under 25 years<\/p>\n Key Endorsements: None, he says, because he entered the race relatively late<\/p>\n Forkas said he\u2019s a fan of Perea\u2019s work representing District 1 and wants to pick up where she leaves off.<\/p>\n \u201cPeople ask me, what\u2019s your platform?\u201d he said. \u201cI\u2019m like: to continue and finish what Annalisa started.\u201d<\/p>\n What\u2019s his position on the Southeast Development Area (SEDA)?<\/p>\n Forkas said he does not support SEDA in its current form.<\/p>\n \u201cWe have enough inventory in Fresno. And you know what? Come on. Building a million-dollar home out there is not going to solve our homeless issue here,\u201d he said. \u201cIt\u2019s not.\u201d<\/p>\n Forkas said he wouldn\u2019t support the current project because of its drain on schools and infrastructure and would only change his mind were those concerns addressed.<\/p>\n What\u2019s his strategy for increasing housing in the city?<\/p>\n Forkas said he\u2019s interested in exploring more modular and prefabricated housing models<\/a>.<\/p>\n \u201cI think we need to really study that,\u201d he said. \u201cI want to take a tour of it before I give 100% seal of approval, but, you know, there\u2019s people out there that just want a one-bedroom house.\u201d<\/p>\n What about affordable housing?<\/p>\n Forkas said he\u2019s hopeful a slew of assembly bills to make building a house more affordable will pass to help with the process. That includes a package of bills aimed at boosting factory-built homes<\/a> in the state and a new policy exempting urban infill housing development projects<\/a> from the California Environmental Quality Act.<\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019re going to have to rethink this,\u201d he said. \u201cWe don\u2019t have to reinvent the wheel, but we\u2019re going to have to rearrange.\u201d<\/p>\n What are his priorities for tackling homelessness?<\/p>\n Forkas said he wants the city to take a preventative approach and to partner with community-based organizations.<\/p>\n \u201cWe have databases. We can look at who is vulnerable to losing their home. We can look at it by utility bills. We can look at it by eviction notices,\u201d he said. \u201cIt could be as simple as reaching out to these people, (asking) what\u2019s going on?\u201d<\/p>\n \u00a0How will he balance the needs of District 1\u2019s many distinct neighborhoods?<\/p>\n Forkas said he wants to open an office for constituent services west of the 99.<\/p>\n \u201cThere has to be,\u201d he said. \u201cThose people feel so isolated.\u201d<\/p>\n How can the city hold vacant property owners accountable and incentivize development?<\/p>\n Forkas praised Perea\u2019s pilot programs in the Tower District<\/a> aimed at tackling chronically vacant commercial buildings \u2014 and said he wants to build on that framework.<\/p>\n \u201cI don\u2019t want to throw out the program,\u201d he said. \u201cI think it\u2019s a great program. I think it\u2019s a start. I want to make it better.\u201d<\/p>\n For him, that would include removing criteria in the incentive program \u2014 which offers tax benefits to small businesses that set up shop in chronically vacant buildings \u2014 that exclude chains and franchises from qualifying.<\/p>\n \u201cWhy should Starbucks be eliminated if they want to set up shop?\u201d he said. \u201cI understand the need, but Starbucks, they\u2019re good-paying. They have benefits. I don\u2019t think they should be exempt.\u201d<\/p>\n Forkas also said he\u2019d also want to create a tiered-incentive system that would offer the greatest rewards to businesses that offer residents a place to gather.<\/p>\n \u201cWhen I say \u2018public gathering,\u2019 I mean: restaurant, coffee shop, donut shop, yogurt shop. Those should be at the top of the priority,\u201d he said, \u201cas opposed to \u2026 a lawyer\u2019s office.\u201d<\/p>\n \u00a0Does he support the city\u2019s Eviction Protection Program?<\/p>\n Yes.<\/p>\n \u00a0What\u2019s his position on the city\u2019s anti-camping ordinance?<\/p>\n Forkas said he isn\u2019t a fan of the anti-camping ordinance and its broadness, though he added that he\u2019ll have to see how the federal lawsuit against it plays out<\/a>.<\/p>\n He said he believes more walking patrols from police could better address the issue of homeless encampments springing up \u2014 but that he also believes businesses \u201chave a responsibility to protect their property\u201d with private security, too.<\/p>\n \u201cI think with more patrols, we can prevent it,\u201d he said. \u201cMore walking patrols, more policemen out of their cars on the streets, walking the neighborhood, walking the blocks.\u201d<\/p>\n Which transportation tax plan does he support?<\/p>\n Forkas is a backer of the Better Roads and Safe Streets<\/a> proposal, which recently cleared a major hurdle toward appearing on the November ballot. The plan is backed by Mayor Jerry Dyer as well as other Fresno County mayors and multiple community-based organizations.<\/p>\n What transportation investments does he want to see for District 1?<\/p>\n Forkas said he supports expanding public transportation after hearing from some of his constituents in Tower about difficulty accessing bus stops close to their homes.<\/p>\n \u201cI think public transportation is awesome. I\u2019m so sorry that it\u2019s looked down upon. I think we need to make it more New Yorkish, I guess,\u201d he said. \u201cEverybody takes public transportation over in New York \u2014 millionaires, billionaires and poor people.\u201d<\/p>\n Forkas pledged to take a city bus from his residence in Tower to City Hall for his swearing in if elected.<\/p>\n How does he think the city can grow high-wage jobs?<\/p>\n Forkas said he\u2019d rather see the city invest in local businesses than give up tax revenue to attract large corporations like Amazon<\/a>.<\/p>\n \u201cJeff (Bezos) can do it on his own. He\u2019s got enough money,\u201d he said.\u00a0<\/p>\n To that end, Forkas said he\u2019s also a supporter of the city\u2019s facade improvement program and wants to extend it.<\/p>\n How does he think the city can better handle air quality challenges for residents near industrial areas?<\/p>\n Forkas said he would oppose further industrial development in District 3 and West Fresno.<\/p>\n \u201cThey have just been dumped on, and enough is enough. We\u2019ve got to stop this,\u201d he said. \u201cIt\u2019s documented, historic discrimination that\u2019s taken place there.\u201d<\/p>\n What\u2019s his approach to improving public safety?<\/p>\n When asked what the most effective tool is for addressing residents\u2019 public safety concerns, Forkas said he believes it\u2019s all about \u201ccustomer service,\u201d something he honed both as a performer at Disneyland and as a flight attendant.<\/p>\n \u201cOn a plane, everybody\u2019s coming on the plane \u2014 this person\u2019s coming to go on their honeymoon, the next person\u2019s going to a funeral. So you have to adapt,\u201d he said. \u201cYou have to be adaptable.\u201d<\/p>\n Does he support SB 54, the state\u2019s sanctuary laws preventing local law enforcement from initiating contact with ICE?<\/p>\n Forkas didn\u2019t speak to SB 54 specifically but said he\u2019s opposed to the immigration enforcement tactics of the Trump administration and that he\u2019s attended recent protests.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m not comfortable with what I\u2019ve seen,\u201d he said. \u201cThe promise was that they were going to only go after the thugs and the murderers \u2026 and they\u2019re not. They\u2019re going after school teachers.\u201d<\/p>\n How does he think the city can improve transparency?<\/p>\n Forkas said councilmembers need to be more present in the community to rebuild trust with constituents.<\/p>\n \u201cJust showing up to ribbon-cuttings doesn\u2019t do it for me,\u201d he said. \u201cYou need to be out there.\u201d<\/p>\n Who are some of his top funders?<\/p>\n Forkas has raised $3,331 for his campaign, although he contributed $2,057 of that personally.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cSince I had very little money in my campaign, I have to be very creative, and that\u2019s where my theater background comes in handy,\u201d he said. \u201cI know how to stretch a dollar.\u201d<\/p>\n That said, he has received small contributions from donors, including $100 from the founder of Casita Feliz<\/a>.<\/p>\n Candidate: Rob Fuentes<\/p>\n Job: Assistant U.S. Attorney, Instructor, San Joaquin College of Law, and State Center Community College District Trustee<\/p>\n Age: 40<\/p>\n Residency: Lived in Fresno High neighborhood of District 1 since early 2025, before that lived in District 3<\/p>\n Key Endorsements: Mayor Jerry Dyer, Fresno City Firefighters\u2019 Association, Central Labor Council, among others listed below<\/p>\n Fuentes said he\u2019s the product of a farmworker family with grandparents who worked in the fields, as well as his parents when they were young.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cMy overarching goal in my current position on the State Center Community College board, but also as a future council member, is to expand opportunities for working families,\u201d he said, \u201cand trying to create neighborhoods where all of our residents, regardless of their background, can live, work, play and ultimately thrive.\u201d<\/p>\n What\u2019s his position on the Southeast Development Area (SEDA)?<\/p>\n Fuentes said he\u2019s opposed to the current SEDA proposal.<\/p>\n He\u2019s a proponent of growth only in a \u201cthoughtful, clear-eyed manner that doesn\u2019t repeat the mistakes of the past with respect to sprawl,\u201d and that the mayor\u2019s current SEDA proposal doesn\u2019t fit those criteria.<\/p>\n \u201cAs a resident of an older neighborhood myself, and also, given that I\u2019ve been proudly endorsed by the Fresno Teachers Association, I\u2019m opposed to any proposal that is going to tie up the city\u2019s general funds,\u201d he said, \u201cor that\u2019s going to negatively impact our Fresno and Central Unified schools.\u201d<\/p>\n He added that he could support a revised proposal if it had \u201cstrict safeguards in place,\u201d including prohibiting the use of general fund dollars to build up the growth area\u2019s infrastructure and implementing enhanced infrastructure financing districts<\/a>, like the one the city currently has for Blackstone and downtown.<\/p>\n \u201cI would support a proposal that creates needed, good-paying jobs,\u201d he said, \u201cthat builds sorely-needed housing and that also \u2014 and I think this part\u2019s important \u2014 provides the increased tax revenue necessary to do those infrastructure upgrades in infill areas in our older neighborhoods.\u201d<\/p>\n When asked who should shoulder the cost of infrastructure in the growth area if it\u2019s not coming from general fund dollars, Fuentes said developer fees \u201cwould be a big one.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cClawback agreements would be necessary,\u201d he added, \u201cbut yes, it shouldn\u2019t come from the city.\u201d<\/p>\n \u00a0What\u2019s his strategy for increasing the city\u2019s housing in the city?<\/p>\n Fuentes said his priority is infill development, both in older neighborhoods and in the neighborhoods west of the 99 freeway accounted for in the West Area Neighborhoods Specific Plan<\/a>.<\/p>\n To boost infill development, Fuentes said he would promote up-zoning land in some areas to allow for more multi-family housing, eliminating height restrictions on properties in designated areas, increasing gap financing options for developers and prioritizing mixed-use development along major transit corridors.<\/p>\n Fuentes said he also supports the expansion of ministerial \u2014 or \u201cby-right\u201d approval \u2014 for development specifically in infill areas. The approach has split the city council in recent years<\/a>, as city lawmakers have clashed over the dire need for more fast-tracked housing in the city versus how much of an opportunity residents should get to push back on new developments.<\/p>\n Fuentes said he wants to make sure this infill development comes in tandem with improvements to infrastructure in these areas \u2014 including roads, sidewalks, gutters, street lights and green space.<\/p>\n \u00a0What about affordable housing?<\/p>\n Fuentes said he\u2019d want to pursue Low-Income Housing Tax Credit<\/a> opportunities from the federal government and take advantage of city-owned land and vacant private buildings to boost affordable housing stock specifically.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u00a0What are his priorities for tackling homelessness?<\/p>\n On top of fighting to keep shelters open despite declining state and federal funds<\/a>, Fuentes said he wants to expand supportive housing with wraparound services, as well as rapid re-housing programs for the newly homeless.<\/p>\n As a councilmember, Fuentes said he\u2019d start off by calling for a \u201ccomprehensive study of cities of comparable size and climate to Fresno\u201d to see what\u2019s worked and what hasn\u2019t in terms of alleviating homelessness.<\/p>\n \u00a0How will he balance the needs of District 1\u2019s many distinct neighborhoods?<\/p>\n Fuentes said that while out canvassing, he\u2019s already heard the diverse needs across different neighborhoods.<\/p>\n That reinforced his concerns about infrastructure \u2014 particularly roads and sidewalks \u2014 in the area west of the 99 not keeping up with the homes that have been built.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m doing a lot of that outreach right now on the campaign trail,\u201d he added, \u201cbut I want to make sure it continues as a councilmember, with town halls, with forums and even with, you know, just continuing to canvas neighborhoods at times, too.<\/p>\n \u201cI know it\u2019s not common for sitting councilmembers to continue to canvas, but that\u2019s something I would like to do.\u201d<\/p>\n Fuentes said he\u2019d plan to both personally continue canvassing and ask his future staffers to help with that if elected.<\/p>\n How can the city hold vacant property owners accountable and incentivize development?<\/p>\n Fuentes said he\u2019s a proponent of having both \u201ccarrots\u201d and \u201csticks\u201d to balance respecting property rights with holding the owners of long-term vacancies accountable.<\/p>\n \u00a0Does he support the city\u2019s Eviction Protection Program?<\/p>\n Fuentes said he supports the program and wants to evaluate if there are opportunities to strengthen it.<\/p>\n \u201cFor people that are placed in eviction proceedings, the odds that the person is going to actually be evicted is correlated strongly with whether that person has an attorney or not,\u201d he said. \u201cThat tells me that in a lot of these cases, they\u2019re being determined not solely on the merits of the case, but on whether the person has access to an attorney.<\/p>\n \u201cI would want to look at, you know, are we closing that gap, at least in Fresno, within our jurisdiction?\u201d<\/p>\n What\u2019s his position on the city\u2019s anti-camping ordinance?<\/p>\n Fuentes said he believes there needs to be some \u201caccountability mechanisms in place\u201d after hearing from residents and business owners who live near encampments.<\/p>\n \u201cThey talk about some of the trash that\u2019s left over \u2014 even worse, some that will see defecation nearby, so there does need to be enforcement in that respect,\u201d he said, \u201cwhere people\u2019s homes and businesses are respected.\u201d<\/p>\n At the same time, he added that he doesn\u2019t believe the city can \u201carrest our way out of this.\u201d<\/p>\n Fuentes said he\u2019d want to see the results of a study on comparable city\u2019s approaches to addressing homelessness before deciding whether to make any changes to the way the existing policy is enforced.<\/p>\n Which transportation tax plan does he support?<\/p>\n Fuentes said he believes both competing plans \u201chave their pros and cons\u201d but that he signed a petition to get the Better Roads and Safe Streets on the November ballot. He said he also plans to vote for it in the fall if it ultimately qualifies.<\/p>\n \u201cPart of what sold me on that proposal was, in addition to its specifics, also looking at how broad the coalition was,\u201d he said, \u201cto help move it forward. That was important to me.\u201d<\/p>\n What transportation investments does he want to see for District 1?<\/p>\n Fuentes said he wants to see expanded bus routes in his district.<\/p>\n \u201cRepresenting Fresno City College on the State Center board,\u201d he said, \u201cI want to see more bus routes that help connect students from different parts of the district to Fresno City College.\u201d<\/p>\n Fuentes also said he wants the city to explore more creative public transportation options, like the Fresno Hop Trolley and the potentially light rail, depending on the results of a feasibility study<\/a>.<\/p>\n How does he think the city can grow high-wage jobs?<\/p>\n Building more housing will help attract more jobs, Fuentes said, as he\u2019s discussed with the local building and construction trades leaders who have largely endorsed his campaign.<\/p>\n Fuentes is also a supporter of the City of Fresno\u2019s project labor agreement with the local building trades unions.\u00a0<\/p>\n Though that agreement hasn\u2019t yet yielded as many local hires as the city hoped<\/a>, Fuentes said that making sure more SCCCD students are aware of career paths in the building trades could help meet those goals.<\/p>\n \u201cA lot of these trades provide access to good, really well-paying jobs,\u201d he said.\u00a0<\/p>\n How does he think the city can better handle air quality challenges for residents near industrial areas?<\/p>\n Fuentes said he would support a combination of incentives and enforcement to improve air quality around industrial sites.<\/p>\n \u201cIncentives might include tax credits, for example,\u201d he said, \u201cthat help certain facilities upgrade their facilities so that they\u2019re cleaner.\u201d<\/p>\n What\u2019s his approach to improving public safety?<\/p>\n Fuentes said he supports increasing community policing to build trust, \u201cso that community members have more regular interactions with their police force, as opposed to only interacting during calls to 911, for example.\u201d<\/p>\n He said that would likely require a combination of priority shifting among the existing department and increasing the police department\u2019s ranks.<\/p>\n \u201cI know our department is pretty impacted right now,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n In terms of paying for that, Fuentes said he would have to take a look at the numbers before deciding whether he could support a public safety tax to fund an expansion of the department \u2014 an idea Dyer has floated in recent years<\/a> as the city struggles to plug multimillion-dollar holes in its budget year after year.<\/p>\n Fuentes said he also wants to expand the use of mental health professionals to better respond to calls from folks who are experiencing a mental health crisis.<\/p>\n That could come from strengthening and expanding partnerships with Fresno County, he said.<\/p>\n Does he support SB 54, the state\u2019s sanctuary laws preventing local law enforcement from initiating contact with ICE?<\/p>\n Fuentes said he supports SB 54.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m supportive of keeping our local law enforcement separate from ICE,\u201d he said, \u201cespecially now, where I think some of the tactics that ICE has been using are tactics that even Mayor Dyer \u2014 who was police chief for decades \u2014 said at a national conference were tactics that local police forces stopped using decades ago.\u201d<\/p>\n How does he think the city can improve transparency?<\/p>\n In addition to the town halls and regular canvassing he\u2019d want his office to undertake, Fuentes said he believes more budget-related decisions should be made in full council hearings in front of the public, rather than in private meetings.<\/p>\n \u201cThere are some issues related to the decline of trust that are related to things that are real, but also things that are perceived,\u201d he said. \u201cI just think being as open and transparent as possible helps with both of them, whether it\u2019s something problematic that\u2019s real, or something that\u2019s a perceived problem and may not necessarily be real.\u201d<\/p>\n What endorsements has he received?<\/p>\n Fresno Teachers Association<\/p>\n Fresno, Madera, Tulare Kings Building Trades Council and its affiliated unions<\/p>\n Central Labor Council<\/p>\n Fresno City Employees Association<\/p>\n Fresno Police Officers Association<\/p>\n Fresno City Firefighters Association<\/p>\n International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers, Local 100<\/p>\n Fresno Mayor Jerry Dyer<\/p>\n Fresno City Councilmember Tyler Maxwell<\/p>\n Fresno City Councilmember Nelson Esparza<\/p>\n Fresno County Supervisor Luis Chavez<\/p>\n SCCCD Trustee (and Fresno City Council District 5 candidate) Daniella Parra<\/p>\n Former Fresno County Supervisor Henry Perea<\/p>\n Fresno County Democratic Party<\/p>\n Fresno County Young Democrats<\/p>\n Who are some of his top funders?<\/p>\n Fuentes has raised the second-highest donation total in this race, according to campaign contribution filings between from the beginning of 2025 through late-April 2026.<\/p>\n He\u2019s received large donations from a number of labor union-affiliated PACs, fellow elected officials, business owners and developers. Among his donors are both backers and opponents of the SEDA project \u2014 a point Fuentes addressed following a candidate forum<\/a> hosted by the Highway City Community Development, Inc. on April 27, stating that the election \u201cwill not be bought.\u201d<\/p>\n Donations to his campaign at or above $5,000 include:<\/p>\n $10,000 from the Fresno Firefighters Legislative Action Committee<\/p>\n $5,900 from the Fresno City Employees Association PAC<\/p>\n $5,900 from the Fresno Police Officers Association PAC<\/p>\n $5,900 from FUSD school psychologist Angela Barrera<\/p>\n $5,900 from the law office of Kevin G. Little in Fresno<\/p>\n $5,900 from developer Richard F. Spencer<\/p>\n $5,900 from Councilmember Tyler Maxwell<\/p>\n $5,000 from the Central Valley Council, a committee for which political consultant Alex Tavlian is listed as principal officer<\/p>\n $5,000 from the California Real Estate PAC<\/p>\n $5,000 from the Fresno Teachers Association PAC<\/p>\n $5,000 from Karen A. Spencer, wife of developer Richard Spencer<\/p>\n $5,000 from Fresno\u2019s Electric Motor Shop<\/p>\n Candidate: Joe Hinojosa<\/p>\n Job: Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) Coordinator for City of Fresno<\/p>\n Age: 42<\/p>\n Residency: Born and raised in Fresno, lived in Tower District for nearly 20 years<\/p>\n Key Endorsements: None, but he says \u201cthere\u2019s no one for me to serve, except my neighbors\u201d<\/p>\n This would be Hinojosa\u2019s first time holding elected office \u2014 and he wants to break the pattern of \u201crepeated individuals\u201d dominating local politics.<\/p>\n \u201cWe can elect the same people over and over and get the same results,\u201d he said, \u201cand question it, or we can have a different voice.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n \u00a0What\u2019s his position on the Southeast Development Area (SEDA)?<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m definitely not for SEDA,\u201d Hinojosa said.<\/p>\n \u201cI think we already have a large enough sphere of influence,\u201d he added, \u201cfor where we can do housing.\u201d<\/p>\n Instead, he said he wants to see a focus on infill development, particularly in the neighborhoods west of the 99 freeway.<\/p>\n What\u2019s his strategy for increasing housing in the city?<\/p>\n Hinojosa wants to diversify housing stock within city limits.<\/p>\n \u201cWe are really sold on the single-family homes,\u201d he said, \u201cthat are 2,000 square feet, and the price is $400,000. One of the things that I hate is that we don\u2019t have anything that would be considered a starter home available anymore.\u201d<\/p>\n He pointed to the duplexes, triplexes and four-plexes in the Tower District as an example of more diversified housing options. He said he also wants to see smaller options, like studio apartments and ADUs.<\/p>\n Hinojosa is also supportive of ministerial or \u201cby right\u201d approvals for housing development and believes some high-profile instances where the city has fought developers who followed the rules \u2014 particularly in the case of an apartment complex proposed off of Herndon and Marks<\/a> that residents fought \u2014 is a big part of what makes developers wary about building here.<\/p>\n \u201cHow would that incentivize people building, for instance, apartments or building by right when we are creating a process, and then pulling the rug out from underneath them?\u201d he said. \u201cIt just doesn\u2019t work.\u201d<\/p>\n \u00a0What about affordable housing?<\/p>\n Hinojosa said it\u2019s a shame the city got to a point last year where it lost its \u201cPro-housing Designation\u201d from the state<\/a>.<\/p>\n He said he would never turn down housing grants from the state to support affordable housing.\u00a0<\/p>\n He would also continue the work his city department, public works, regularly undertakes partnering with developers and other organizations, including local school districts, to co-apply for grants that support housing.<\/p>\n What are his priorities for tackling homelessness?<\/p>\n Hinojosa said he\u2019s concerned about the rising rates of homelessness among seniors nationally<\/a>, and wants to create a grant program to help them pay for small upgrades to stay in their homes.<\/p>\n \u201cThere\u2019s often little things, like they don\u2019t have a ramp to get into the front door,\u201d he said, \u201cor the handlebars that are needed in the bathrooms.\u201d<\/p>\n Hinojosa said that could also look like assisting seniors with their water or electric bills, or \u201cwhatever it may be to make sure that seniors are able to stay in their homes and enjoy their retirement.<\/p>\n \u201cThey\u2019ve worked all their lives for this, and sometimes it feels unfair that they\u2019re losing those moments.\u201d<\/p>\n \u00a0How will he balance the needs of District 1\u2019s many distinct neighborhoods?<\/p>\n Hinojosa sees District 1 as one of the most \u201cdynamic\u201d in the city.<\/p>\n \u201cWe have Tower District, which is known as the most walkable community in Fresno,\u201d he said. \u201cAnd then we have the least walkable community, which is everything west of 99.<\/p>\n \u201cThen we have the industrial areas around freeway 99,\u201d he added, \u201cand then we have some neighborhoods that are forgotten just east of 99, in my opinion.\u201d<\/p>\n To assess those needs while canvassing, he\u2019s hosted multiple \u201csangria nights\u201d in the 13 different neighborhoods he\u2019s broken the district into.<\/p>\n \u201cI don\u2019t put the address or advertise it wide out. I go out and I knock on 200 doors, and I give a flyer saying, \u2018Hey, we\u2019re holding this in your neighborhood, so I can hear what you need and what you want.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n These have helped reveal problems he didn\u2019t know about before, including a problematic Airbnb in the neighborhood near the train tracks southwest of Shaw and West.<\/p>\n \u201cI wouldn\u2019t hear that,\u201d he said, \u201cunless I was having a community meeting in that specific neighborhood.\u201d<\/p>\n How can the city hold vacant property owners accountable and incentivize development?<\/p>\n Hinojosa said he wants to lower the code enforcement fees for the owners of vacant properties that have burnt down so it\u2019s no longer a \u201clost cause\u201d for them to redevelop it.<\/p>\n \u201cWe spent $40,000 to demolish the house, but now we\u2019ve been taking care of the vacant lot because the property owners, it\u2019s a lost cause for them,\u201d he said. \u201cIt doesn\u2019t pencil out.\u201d<\/p>\n \u00a0Does he support the city\u2019s Eviction Protection Program?<\/p>\n Yes. \u201cI love the Eviction Protection Program,\u201d Hinojosa said.\u00a0<\/p>\n He said he sees it as one of the key preventative, rather than reactionary, policies in the city to keep people from becoming homeless.<\/p>\n \u00a0What\u2019s his position on the city\u2019s anti-camping ordinance?<\/p>\n Hinojosa said the lack of data collected by the city regarding the outcomes of the ordinance so far, as reported by Fresnoland<\/a>, makes it difficult to assess the program.<\/p>\n But he called the language of the ordinance somewhat \u201cgray.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cAt the end of the day,\u201d he added, \u201cI don\u2019t know if it did anything to change much.\u201d<\/p>\n Which transportation tax plan does he support?<\/p>\n Hinojosa said he thinks people may underestimate the reach out Measure C funding, not just in Fresno but across all the cities in the county.<\/p>\n In his work for the city, he\u2019s applied to grants using Measure C dollars as matching funds \u2014 and without those, he said, the city would have to \u201cspend millions of dollars out of our general fund dollars to match the grants.\u201d<\/p>\n For that reason, he\u2019ll support any successor plan.<\/p>\n \u201cThere\u2019s going to be people that say: vote yes on this one, no on that one,\u201d he said. \u201cI\u2019m vote yes on both.\u201d<\/p>\n But his slight preference goes to the Better Roads and Safe Streets plan, backed by Mayor Jerry Dyer and others.<\/p>\n \u201cThat one went through the right processes,\u201d he said, \u201cfrom my understanding.\u201d<\/p>\n What transportation investments does he want to see for District 1?<\/p>\n Hinojosa said he wants to see microtransit options expanded to address the fragmented public transit access west of the 99 freeway.<\/p>\n Specifically, he pointed to Omaha\u2019s approach to microtransit as a potential model for improving the westside\u2019s access.\u00a0<\/p>\n The midwestern city\u2019s metro service functions like many rideshare apps, where users are able to choose their pickup and dropoff points, according to Nebraska Public Media<\/a>. The aim is to help connect those residents to more robust public transportation hubs.<\/p>\n How does he think the city can grow higher-wage jobs?<\/p>\n Hinojosa said stemming Fresno\u2019s brain drain is part of what will help uplift the community, so kids don\u2019t feel like they have to leave the city to pursue their dreams. A big part of that, he said, would be making the path to opening a new business clearer and easier.<\/p>\n He also said he would support bringing more light industrial development to the area between the 99 and 41 freeways, south of Jensen \u2014 while also navigating the negative effects of development for the residents and churches located there.<\/p>\n How does he think the city can better handle air quality challenges for residents near industrial areas?<\/p>\n In terms of remediation for residents, Hinojosa said that can take a couple of different forms, from increasing green space and mature landscaping around residential areas as a buffer to updating routes for industrial vehicles.<\/p>\n He said remediations should be offered to businesses in some cases, too, such as relocation assistance.<\/p>\n What\u2019s his approach to improving public safety?<\/p>\n Hinojosa said improving the economy is one of the most effective ways to encourage public safety \u2014 something not entirely in the city\u2019s control.<\/p>\n Outside of that, he said building trust between community members and law enforcement is important, especially so that people feel safe calling the department.<\/p>\n In an election forum April 27, Hinojosa pointed to San Jose Police Department\u2019s Community Service Office Program<\/a> as a model for the \u201cdifferent type of police officer\u201d he wants to invest in.<\/p>\n Does he support SB 54, the state\u2019s sanctuary laws preventing local law enforcement from initiating contact with ICE?<\/p>\n Hinojosa said he doesn\u2019t support cooperation with ICE except in cases where an undocumented immigrant is convicted of serious or violent crimes \u2014 the same exception written into SB 54 that allows local law enforcement\u2019s cooperation, but not the initiation of contact, with ICE.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019ve not met one individual, one resident, that says they want criminal illegal immigrants. No one\u2019s ever said that,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n \u201cBut we are proud of our immigrant backgrounds. We\u2019re proud of \u2014 even if they are here illegally \u2014 the work that they carry out.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m not a believer in separating families,\u201d he added, \u201ccreating a further burden when there was no burden to begin with.\u201d<\/p>\n How does he think the city can improve transparency?<\/p>\n As a councilmember, Hinojosa said he would release quarterly updates on how he spent his council district budget.\u00a0<\/p>\n He said his office would undertake that in addition to the transparency portal the city is creating<\/a> in the wake of Fresnoland\u2019s investigation<\/a> into how city officials had handed out millions in contracts worth $100,000 or less with no public oversight.<\/p>\n Hinojosa also said he believes more of the city\u2019s budget process should happen in the public eye.<\/p>\n Who are some of his top funders?<\/p>\n Hinojosa provided Fresnoland with a copy of his Form 460 detailing fundraising totals and itemized donations in 2026, which wasn\u2019t available to view on the city\u2019s campaign document portal as of May 4.\u00a0<\/p>\n He has raised $2,323 as of mid-April, representing mostly contributions from family and friends, Hinojosa said. His largest contribution, $500, is from the City of Fresno\u2019s Sustainability Manager, Anne Kloose.<\/p>\n Candidate: Naindeep Singh<\/p>\n Job: Executive Director of nonprofit Jakara Movement, Central Unified School District trustee<\/p>\n Age: 47<\/p>\n Residency: Born in Baltimore, moved to Fresno as toddler, returned to Fresno after college in 2016, has lived west of 99 for nearly a decade\u00a0<\/p>\n Key Endorsements: Assemblymember Esmeralda Soria, Fresno Unified Trustees Andy Levine and Susan Wittrup, Working Families Party<\/p>\n Singh said at an April 27 candidate forum that he\u2019s running out of \u201cdeep angst and frustration\u201d over how city leaders operate.<\/p>\n \u201cFor far too long, the decisions made by ruling classes in Fresno have never really been about the residents,\u201d he said. \u201cThey\u2019ve been about special interests. My hope is to just have a regular resident that\u2019s on a mission to transform our community and to really put people first.\u201d<\/p>\n \u00a0What\u2019s his position on the Southeast Development Area (SEDA)?<\/p>\n \u201cThere\u2019s no way that I can support SEDA,\u201d Singh said. \u201cThere\u2019s no way this community supports SEDA.\u201d<\/p>\n That\u2019s especially true for him as a resident living west of 99, Singh added, where there\u2019s space for the city to grow yet sorely lacking infrastructure.<\/p>\n \u201cWe have roads that are in atrocious conditions. We have sidewalks that are nonexistent. When it rains, as it did yesterday,\u201d he said, alluding to severe storms on April 21, \u201cwe have students having to wade through a seeming river just to get to school.<\/p>\n \u201cWhy would we be interested in investing in a new part of town, when the conditions for the residents of today is subpar?\u201d<\/p>\n It comes down to who the city wants to put first, he added: developers or residents.<\/p>\n \u201cI think the mayor is missing the fundamental question that he owes the residents of Fresno,\u201d he added, \u201cof whose Fresno is he actually supporting? That of a few developers, or the residents that have built the city, created this city, love this city and want this city to thrive?\u201d<\/p>\n \u00a0What\u2019s his strategy for increasing housing in the city?<\/p>\n Singh said infill development is his priority. That includes multiple forms, including apartments, condos and ADUs among homeowners who want to add them to their properties.<\/p>\n He also supports the recent expansion of ministerial approval for new development in office-zoned districts.<\/p>\n As for new houses, he\u2019d like to see that development focused on the westside.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cWe already have a growth area,\u201d Singh said, \u201cwhich is west of 99.\u201d<\/p>\n Overall, he thinks the city council needs \u201cthe courage to follow their own rules, and not bow to the NIMBYs.\u201d<\/p>\n What about affordable housing?<\/p>\n Singh reiterated that the city needs to increase housing stock for all income levels to deal with its overall supply issue.<\/p>\n \u201cThe market is only doing the high-end,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n \u00a0What are his priorities for tackling homelessness?<\/p>\n In addition to strengthening the city\u2019s Eviction Protection Program, Singh said he wants to bring forward a bridge grant program so the city can help residents with one missed rent payment to prevent them from becoming homeless.<\/p>\n According to Singh\u2019s campaign site<\/a>, these would consist of payments of up to $1,500 \u201cdesigned to keep people housed while protecting small landlords from unnecessary losses.\u201d<\/p>\n Singh also said he\u2019s hopeful that the use of CARE Courts will expand locally<\/a> to help the unhoused who are suffering from mental illness and substance abuse disorders, though he acknowledged the county has much greater control over that.<\/p>\n How will he balance the needs of District 1\u2019s many distinct neighborhoods?<\/p>\n Singh said his approach is \u201cknowing that the expertise lies in the community and not pretending that I know things that I don\u2019t.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n He\u2019s hosting 17 meet-and-greets across the different neighborhoods of District 1 on the campaign trail, and said he wants to continue holding these kinds of meetings if elected.<\/p>\n \u201cMy desire on council is to create people\u2019s budgets where the community directly gets to participate in choosing how infrastructure dollars are used,\u201d he said, \u201chow decisions are made, and my desire is to continue to be accountable to the residents of District 1 and little else.\u201d<\/p>\n How can the city hold vacant property owners accountable and incentivize development?<\/p>\n Singh supports short-term lease subsidies and slashing red tape for entrepreneurs to fill vacant buildings, according to his campaign site.<\/p>\n Does he support the city\u2019s Eviction Protection Program?<\/p>\n Yes. Singh wants to see the Eviction Protection Program strengthened with a larger, dedicated budget and greater outreach to make residents aware of it.<\/p>\n \u201cMany District 1 residents share their frustration with questions around our houseless communities,\u201d he said, \u201cbut one of the most important preventative things that we can do as a city is increase our eviction protection so that future generations and future people do not end up without houses.\u201d<\/p>\n What\u2019s his position on the city\u2019s anti-camping ordinance?<\/p>\n Singh said it\u2019s important for the city to address the issues created by encampments but without \u201cimposing on people\u2019s civil rights.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cEverybody has rights in this city. No one should have more. No one should have less. That includes,\u201d he said, \u201cour homeless community.<\/p>\n \u201cI have heard from both police officers as well as community members,\u201d he added, \u201cthat there needs to be a lot more conversation about what\u2019s appropriate.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n Which transportation tax plan does he support?<\/p>\n Singh supports the Better Roads and Safe Streets plan.\u00a0<\/p>\n His organization, Jakara Movement, is part of the community coalition that helped conduct outreach to thousands of Fresno County residents to inform priorities for the Measure C successor plan.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cFor No. 1, it is actually qualified, and I don\u2019t even believe the second one really would qualify,\u201d he said as to why he supports Better Roads and Safe Streets.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cNo. 2, I, firsthand, witnessed the amount of support, community involvement, community engagement and the number of people that participated when they were gathering their information.<\/p>\n \u201cNo. 3,\u201d he added, \u201cI currently serve as a school board member, who has, firsthand, seen when you don\u2019t have adequate sidewalks, proper roads, that even get to schools, and it is this measure that puts schools first.\u201d<\/p>\n What transportation investments does he want to see for District 1?<\/p>\n After hearing repeated concerns from District 1 residents, Singh said he\u2019s going to advocate for talking with residents first before installing bike lanes on a residential road.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cMake sure that they\u2019re actually in the appropriate places,\u201d he said, so that we\u2019re not making top-down decisions.<\/p>\n \u201cWest of 99,\u201d he added, \u201cit\u2019s actually just having roads, period. The conditions of the roads are so bad compared to the rest of the city \u2014 and I\u2019m talking within the city, not in the county spaces.\u201d<\/p>\n How does he think the city can grow high-wage jobs?<\/p>\n As a councilmember, Singh said he would bring forward a \u201cFresno First\u201d procurement policy to ensure millions in dollars of city contracts that go out each year go primarily to local businesses.<\/p>\n \u201cThe City of Fresno gives some points already during its bidding process to Fresno-based companies when pursuing city contracts,\u201d he said. \u201cI think we need to lean into that much, much more.\u201d<\/p>\n On his campaign site, Singh also outlines plans to build a \u201cYouth Green Ambassador Corps\u201d for District 1 high school and college students, which would hire students to work on city projects like \u201cclimate-resilient landscaping\u201d and \u201cdata-driven tech solutions at City Hall.\u201d<\/p>\n Singh said he wants to emphasize support for small businesses and entrepreneurs rather than luring companies from out of town to set up shop in Fresno.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cIf we invested in industries and most important(ly) people that we have here, we are going to be able to develop higher-paying jobs, more small businesses and different types of industries. The city has always bet on attracting someone here, and has never bet on the people that actually live here. And I think that needs to change.\u201d<\/p>\n How does he think the city can better handle air quality challenges for residents near industrial areas?<\/p>\n Singh said the city needs to be a \u201creal facilitator\u201d of conversations between businesses and residents and to \u201cnot just do any one group\u2019s bidding.\u201d<\/p>\n What\u2019s his approach to improving public safety?<\/p>\n Singh said he\u2019d advocate for the police department to prioritize neighborhood beat patrols.<\/p>\n \u201cI think people want to see folks walking Tower, and not just during a period of time or during a particular event,\u201d he said. \u201cI think that would actually increase feelings of public safety.\u201d<\/p>\n When asked whether that would come from shifting priorities in the department as is or adding police, Singh said the city has \u201calready allotted budgets to this.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI think it\u2019s just making sure that we\u2019re fully implementing all the promises we\u2019ve already made,\u201d he said, \u201cto both our police and our residents.\u201d<\/p>\n Singh also emphasized that even while public safety concerns for residents continue, rates of major crimes such as homicide have also reached historic lows in the city recently<\/a>, mirroring national trends<\/a>.<\/p>\n Does he support SB 54, the state\u2019s sanctuary laws preventing local law enforcement from initiating contact with ICE?<\/p>\n \u201cYes,\u201d Singh said. \u201cI believe that local law enforcement\u2019s primary role is to secure the safety of the residents of Fresno, and immigration officers have other roles.\u201d<\/p>\n On Singh\u2019s campaign website, he said he also wants to bring forward a sanctuary city policy for Fresno that \u201cends local cooperation with ICE and makes it clear: our city will not help separate families.\u201d<\/p>\n How does he think the city can improve transparency?<\/p>\n Building trust with constituents is less about providing opportunities for residents to share their thoughts, Singh said, and more about councilmembers \u201cvoting the way that you\u2019re promising community you\u2019re going to vote.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI think trust is broken, not because there aren\u2019t places to talk,\u201d he said. \u201cI think it\u2019s (that) most residents know that the decisions made at city council are to the benefit of a few insiders at their direct expense.\u201d<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/courtesy-of-monte-forkas.jpg\")
Photo courtesy of Monte Forkas<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/courtesy-of-rob-fuentes.jpeg\")
Photo courtesy of Rob Fuentes<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/courtesy-of-joe-hinojosa.jpeg\")
Courtesy of Joe Hinojosa<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/courtesy-of-naindeep-singh.jpeg\")
Courtesy of Naindeep Singh<\/p>\n