FRESNO, Calif. (KFSN) — Fresno City Council President Nelson Esparza is pushing for three new ballot measures that he hopes will appear before voters in November, including proposals focused on city funding, development spending and government reforms.<\/p>\n
“Looking to create some permanent reforms that help our city government function better and ensure we have the funding to continue to provide city services the way that we have been,” Esparza said.<\/p>\n
Last week, Esparza began a series of press conferences introducing the measures.<\/p>\n
The first proposal is a city-specific response to the anticipated $54 million funding gap tied to the rejection of Fresno County’s transportation tax. According to Esparza, the measure would maintain the taxes implemented under Measure C but redirect the funding to city services.<\/p>\n
“The current sales tax that goes to the county and the Fresno County Transportation Authority kind of collects that. Now it’ll instead come directly to the city,” Esparza said.<\/p>\n
Esparza said residents would not see an increase in the sales tax rate under the proposal.<\/p>\n
“They’ll pay the same amount of sales tax that they do now, but see increased service levels because we won’t be sharing the money with the rest of the county at that point,” he said.<\/p>\n
A second measure would address financing for the city’s Southeast Development Area, or SEDA, by placing decisions about its payment plan before voters.<\/p>\n
“A prohibition on the public financing in the bulk of the SEDA area,” Esparza said.<\/p>\n
He said the proposal is intended to prevent the city from overextending itself financially.<\/p>\n
“This measure that I’m bringing forward is really going to ensure the city stays fiscally solvent by not overinvesting, overextending, and trying to build the infrastructure out there,” Esparza said.<\/p>\n
If approved, the measure would prohibit the city from using general funds for infrastructure in most of the SEDA area, excluding the South SEDA portion driven by Fresno Mayor Jerry Dyer.<\/p>\n
Esparza is scheduled to hold another press conference Monday to discuss a third measure focused on the operation of city government and potential reforms.<\/p>\n
“Right now, there are some loopholes around city officials being able to sit out for a while and then return for eight years at a time and over and over and over in a cycle. So we’re going to see about putting a stop to that loophole within the city charter,” Esparza said.<\/p>\n
The third measure is expected to be formally introduced Monday morning. All three proposals are scheduled to go before the full Fresno City Council on Thursday.<\/p>\n
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