DATE: July 14, 2026
TO: Board of Supervisors
SUBMITTED BY: James A. Kus, County Clerk/Registrar of Voters
SUBJECT: Adopt a Resolution Calling an Election for the Fresno County Transportation Improvement Act Initiative Measure or Refer the Initiative Measure to a County Agency or Agencies for a Report Pursuant to Elections Code Section 9111
RECOMMENDED ACTION(S):
TITLE
1. Receive “Certificate of Sufficiency” dated July 8, 2026, with respect to the initiative petition entitled “Fresno County Transportation Improvement Act” filed with the Fresno County Clerk/Registrar of Voters on January 26, 2026, pursuant to Elections Code Section 9115; and
2. Pursuant to California Elections Code Section 9118, your Board must take action on one of the following:
a) Submit the “Fresno County Transportation Improvement Act” without alteration, to the voters pursuant to Elections Code Section 1405; and adopt Resolution calling an election for the “Fresno County Transportation Improvement Act” to be consolidated with the November 3, 2026, Consolidated Statewide General Election; or
b) Refer the “Fresno County Transportation Improvement Act” to a County agency or agencies for a report on the effect of the proposed ordinance (e.g., fiscal impact), pursuant to Elections Code Section 9111, and direct staff to present the report to your Board no later than August 13, 2026, at which time your Board would adopt a Resolution calling for an election pursuant to Elections Code Section 1405.
REPORT
The recommended actions will allow your Board to conduct its ministerial duties regarding the initiative petition entitled “Fresno County Transportation Improvement Act” (“Initiative Measure”). After receipt of the “Certificate of Sufficiency” from the Fresno County Clerk/Registrar of Voters, your Board is required to take action under California Elections Code Section 9118 on the Initiative Measure, as detailed in Recommended Action No. 2. This item is countywide.
ALTERNATIVE ACTION(S):
There are no viable alternative actions.
FISCAL IMPACT:
Should your Board decide to approve Recommended Action No. 2(a), the cost to consolidate the election for the Initiative Measure with the November 3, 2026, Consolidated Statewide General Election is estimated by the Fresno County Clerk/Registrar of Voters to be $606,000 in NCC. Sufficient appropriations and estimated revenues will be included in County Clerk-Elections Org 2850 FY 2026-27 Recommended Budget request.
DISCUSSION:
The Fresno County Clerk/Registrar of Voters (“Registrar”) has determined that the proponents of the Initiative Measure, Lynn Ashbeck, Jerry P. Dyer, Veronica Garibay, and Joan E. Eaton (the “Proponents”), collected more than the minimum number of valid Fresno County registered voter signatures to qualify the Initiative Measure for placement on an election ballot for consideration of Fresno County voters.
On January 26, 2026, pursuant to Elections Code Section 9100 et seq., the Proponents submitted to the Registrar, a Notice of Intention to Circulate Petition to adopt an ordinance that would impose a Countywide one-half percent (0.5%) transactions and use tax to be used for specified transportation purposes for a period of thirty (30) years.
The proposed ordinance provides for the following:
• Use of Proceeds: Sixty-five percent of the proceeds would be allocated to the County and incorporated cities to repair, rebuild, and maintain roads to improve travel time, accessibility, safety, and public health. Each jurisdiction will annually receive a base allocation, and additional allocations will be based on population and public roadway miles. Twenty-five percent of the proceeds would be allocated to support public transportation services, with 10% going to Clovis Transit, 70% to Fresno Area Express, and 20% to the Fresno County Rural Transit Agency. One percent of the proceeds would be allocated to the Fresno Yosemite International Airport. Four percent of the proceeds would be allocated to fund regional street, road, and highway improvement projects. Four percent of the proceeds would be allocated to support zero-fare public transit programs for people with disabilities, veterans, seniors, children, and students, and to award grants for clean-energy projects and future transportation technologies. The remaining 1% of the proceeds would be allocated to the Fresno Council of Governments (“FCOG”) for administrative and oversight purposes.
• Accountability: Tax proceeds will be deposited into a fund maintained by the County and will be appropriated to the FCOG, who will annually allocate the proceeds to the County, incorporated cities, and local transit agencies. FCOG will develop program requirements, complete studies, review fiscal and compliance reports, and conduct annual independent audits. A Citizens Oversight Committee (“Committee”) of 11 members will be appointed by the FCOG Policy Board, and the Committee will conduct public meetings held at least quarterly, review reports, and oversee annual fiscal and compliance audits.
On February 17, 2026, the Proponents filed with the Registrar adequate proof of publication for the Notice of Intention and the Ballot Title and Summary, pursuant to Elections Code Sections 9105 and 9108, and were permitted to circulate the initiative petition for signatures.
Under Elections Code Section 9118, for the initiative petition to be declared sufficient, registered voters equal to no less than 10% of the entire vote cast in Fresno County for all candidates for Governor in the last gubernatorial election preceding publication of the Notice of Intention must sign the initiative petition (i.e., a minimum of 21,909 valid signatures). On April 14, 2026, the Proponents filed the initiative petition with the Registrar containing 32,562 signatures.
In accordance with Elections Code Sections 9114 and 9115, the Registrar applied a random sampling technique to verify signatures on the initiative petition. On July 8, 2026, the Registrar determined that the Proponents collected the required number of qualified signatures to permit, subject to your Board’s approval, the Initiative Measure to be placed on a ballot.
Upon presentation of the Registrar’s Certificate of Sufficiency, Elections Code Section 9118 requires your Board to either submit the Initiative Measure, without alteration, to the voters by adopting a Resolution calling for an election for the Initiative Measure to be held on the November 3, 2026, Consolidated Statewide General Election (Recommended Action No. 2(a)) or order a report on the effect of the Initiative Measure from any County of Fresno agency or agencies to be presented to the Board no later than August 13, 2026, at which time the Board would be required to call an election for the Initiative Measure (Recommended Action No. 2(b)).
Pursuant to Elections Code Section 9111, the report may discuss the Initiative Measure’s fiscal impact; effect on the internal consistency of the County’s General Plan, the consistency between planning and zoning, and its effect on land use and the availability and location of housing; impact on infrastructure funding, including whether the Initiative Measure would be likely to increase infrastructure costs or savings and maintenance to residents and businesses; impact on retaining/attracting County business and employment; impact on uses of vacant parcels of land, agricultural land, open space, traffic congestion, existing business districts, and developed areas designated for revitalization; and “any other matters” of interest to your Board.
Should the Board decide to approve Recommended Action No. 2(b), your Board may order a report to be presented at its next regular meeting scheduled for August 11, 2026 or call a special meeting by August 13, 2026.
The legal deadline for your Board to call an election for this Initiative Measure to be consolidated with the November 3, 2026, Consolidated Statewide General Election is August 7, 2026. If your Board does not call a special meeting and order the report to be presented by August 7, 2026, Elections Code Section 1405 would require your Board to either call an election for the Initiative Measure to be consolidated with the March 7, 2028, Statewide Primary Election or order a Special Election to be held no less than 88 days nor more than 103 days after the date the Board orders the Special Election.
ATTACHMENTS INCLUDED AND/OR ON FILE:
Resolution
On file with Clerk - Certificate of Sufficiency
On file with Clerk - Notice of Intention
On file with Clerk - Proponent Statement of Acknowledgement
On file with Clerk - Full Text of Measure
On file with Clerk - Title and Summary
On file with Clerk - Affidavit of Publication
On file with Clerk - Blank Copy of Petition
CAO ANALYST:
Amy Ryals