DATE: October 6, 2026
TO: Board of Supervisors
SUBMITTED BY: Paul Nerland, County Administrative Officer
SUBJECT: Second Hearing to Adopt County Seal and Logo Ordinance
RECOMMENDED ACTION(S):
TITLE
Conduct second hearing to amend and adopt Fresno County Ordinance Code, Title 2, adding Subsection 2.08.090 - Use of County Seal and Logos; and waive reading of Ordinance in its entirety.
REPORT
There is no increase in Net County Cost associated with the recommended action, which will allow your Board to conduct the second hearing and adopt Subsection 2.08.090 - Use of the County Seal and Logos into Title 2 of the Fresno County Ordinance Code (Ordinance). The proposed Subsection would protect the County seal and logo, as well as the logos used by departments.
The first hearing was conducted by your Board on September 22, 2026. This item is countywide.
ALTERNATIVE ACTION(S):
If the recommended action is not approved, the County will not have Ordinance in place to protect any County or department logos from misuse or misappropriation.
FISCAL IMPACT:
There is no additional Net County Cost in FY 2026-27 associated with the recommended action, which will adopt the proposed Ordinance.
DISCUSSION:
On September 22, 2026, your Board elected to retain the current County seal as the “Legacy Seal” for all official documents and adopt the new County logo and accompanying tagline, “Farms to Forests, We Serve,” for other print and digital branding. Additionally, your Board conducted the first hearing to add Subsection 2.08.090 - Use of County Seal and Logos to Title 2 of the Ordinance.
The proposed Ordinance will control use of the County’s seal and logo, as well as recognized County department logos, by outlining who has the authority to use the seal and logos, ensuring County branding is used only for purposes directly related to the official business of the County. The Ordinance prohibits any person from displaying or using the seal or logo in a manner that creates a false or misleading impression that a communication is authorized by the County, or may erroneously convey official sponsorship or association with the County, or reasonably confuse the public as to the relationship between the County and the user of the seal or logo. The Ordinance also prohibits unauthorized use of a logo closely resembling the County’s logo, to prevent using altered versions with the intent to cause those who may be unfamiliar with the County’s logo or seal to believe a communication came from the County. The Ordinance creates penalties for unauthorized use. The Ordinance is not intended to restrict fair use of the County’s seal and logo for news, editorial, or educational purposes, or in the context of political expression protected by the First Amendment, where such expression makes clear the message is not sponsored by the County.
A summary of the Ordinance amendment was published timely in the Business Journal.
If adopted by your Board, the proposed Ordinance will take effect on November 5, 2026.
REFERENCE MATERIAL:
BAI #7, September 22, 2026
ATTACHMENTS INCLUDED AND/OR ON FILE:
Ordinance
CAO ANALYST:
Amy Ryals