Fresno council approves putting 0.5% stopgap sales tax on November ballot to replace expiring Measure C

Facing a potential $54 million hit next fiscal year if Measure C is not renewed at the county level, Fresno’s City Council voted July 30 to place a 0.5% sales‑tax stopgap measure on the November ballot.

Mayor Jerry P. Dyer and city staff told the council the gap would threaten public works, FAX transit, capital projects and airport leverage for state and federal funds. "If we do not have a substitute funding source ... the PCI will decline and services will be cut," the mayor said in the workshop presentation outlining department impacts and an estimated yearly loss in city revenue (Mayoral remarks summarized in staff slide deck).

The measure is proposed as a general 0.5% sales tax, estimated to raise about $65 million annually; council supporters said the city needs a flexible, quickly deliverable option to avoid layoffs and maintain essential functions. Some councilmembers and public commenters urged stronger legal guardrails to dedicate a defined share to transportation, pointing out that a more specific tax would require a higher 66.7% voter threshold. The mayor and sponsors said the item includes a 10‑year sunset and a clause to nullify if a countywide transportation measure that serves Fresno is later approved.

Councilmembers emphasized the political tradeoffs: a general tax costs less to qualify (majority needed) but provides less legal certainty about allocations, while a specialized transportation tax offers spending guarantees but faces a steeper approval bar. The city manager said staff would work to protect core services and minimize layoffs if the measure passes; the mayor pledged to hold veto authority while watching county actions. The council approved sending the measure to the ballot; final language and the mayor’s veto timetable were left subject to clerical processing and last‑minute review.