The City of Fresno announced on Friday that it has filed to place their recently approved citywide general tax measure on the November ballot, amid uncertainty on how the county will follow through on the recently approved state bill that should allow the Better Roads countywide tax measure to go before voters later this year.<\/p>\n
California Gov. Gavin Newsom signed AB 1923 on Thursday<\/a>, allowing the state to place the Better Roads tax measure on Fresno County\u2019s November general election ballots. However, as of Friday afternoon, the measure has still not been placed on the ballot by the county\u2019s election clerk.\u00a0<\/p>\n That\u2019s because the Better Roads measure must still be procedurally placed on the ballot by the Fresno County Board of Supervisors. However, the county\u2019s consistent opposition to the measure, and their recent pledge to fight AB 1923 in court<\/a>, has given the city reason to doubt the Better Roads coalition can declare victory just yet.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cAt this time, there is no indication the Board will support moving the measure forward,\u201d city leaders said in a statement. \u201cCounty Counsel has also stated publicly that it is his professional opinion that the State\u2019s action was not lawful, leaving the City with no reason to believe the Board will be supportive next week, and reason to expect further delays.\u201d<\/p>\n Their news release later reads, \u201cWhile we anticipate it may eventually be worked out, as of today \u2013 the City of Fresno\u2019s deadline \u2013 there is no certainty that it will be added to the November ballot.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n However, the deadline to place a measure on the November ballot is Friday, Aug. 7.\u00a0<\/p>\n In a text message to Fresnoland late Friday, Soria spokesperson Brody Fernandez appeared to push back on the idea that Better Roads could somehow still avoid the November ballot.<\/p>\n \u201cLet me be clear: the Fresno County Transportation Act is now LAW. Authored by Assemblywoman Soria, passed by both houses of the Legislature, and signed by Governor Newsom, AB 1923 is the law of the land,\u201d Fernandez said in the text.<\/p>\n Friday\u2019s announcement by the city reverses course on news shared on Thursday that the City of Fresno would not be placing the citywide measure on the ballot.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n The city\u2019s general tax includes language that automatically nullifies it if a countywide tax measure is approved and in place by July 2027. That means that, if both the city and the Better Roads tax plan get approved by voters this November, the city\u2019s measure would become void.\u00a0<\/p>\n Still, Dyer said in Friday\u2019s statement that he understands the city\u2019s actions may not sit well with other county elected officials.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cThis has truly been one of the most difficult decisions I\u2019ve faced as Mayor,\u201d Dyer said. \u201cI know that submitting the City\u2019s measure today may disappoint my fellow mayors throughout the county, and that weighs heavily on me. But I want to reassure them \u2014 and all of our partners \u2014 that this choice in no way diminishes my support for the Better Roads, Safe Streets measure, a countywide initiative I am confident will improve every one of our communities, and I remain fully committed to seeing it succeed.<\/p>\n