Fresno COG Approves Measure C Allocation Plan, Debate Continues
On Nov. 20 the Fresno Council of Governments policy board voted nine to five to approve a recommended funding allocation plan for the next Measure C, directing 65 percent to neighborhood roads, 25 percent to public transit, 5 percent to regional connectivity, 4 percent to transportation innovation and 1 percent to administrative costs. The approval clears a major procedural hurdle toward placing a renewal measure on a future ballot, though dissent remains from jurisdictions and board members who want a larger share reserved for regional projects.
The Fresno Council of Governments policy board advanced the Measure C renewal process on Nov. 20 by approving a recommended funding allocation plan by a nine to five vote. The plan prioritizes spending on local streets and transit, proposing that 65 percent of revenue flow to neighborhood roads and 25 percent to public transit. Smaller shares would go to regional connectivity projects at 5 percent, transportation innovation at 4 percent, and administrative costs at 1 percent.
Measure C is the countywide transportation sales tax that has funded road maintenance, transit operations and regional projects across Fresno County. By centering the proposed allocation on neighborhood roads and local transit, the policy board signaled a shift toward addressing deferred maintenance and day to day mobility needs in communities that council members and staff have described as underfunded in past funding cycles. For Fresno County residents this could mean increased resources for pavement repairs, safe routes to schools, and expanded bus service planning depending on how final ballot language and project lists are framed.
Not all jurisdictions welcomed the allocation breakdown. Several cities and some board members cautioned that shrinking the share for regional connectivity could jeopardize support from jurisdictions that prioritize intercity links, freight corridors and large scale projects that cross municipal boundaries. Those concerns leave open politically sensitive negotiations ahead. The approval does not itself place the renewal measure on the ballot, but it clears a significant procedural hurdle and sets the stage for work on final ballot language, project lists and outreach to secure broad countywide backing.
The smaller allocation for transportation innovation reflects a modest commitment to pilot programs and new technologies that planners say could improve efficiency or reduce emissions, while the one percent set aside for administrative costs keeps overhead low by design. How those smaller pots will be used remains to be detailed as the process moves into drafting and consultation phases.
Local officials will now need to bridge the divide between neighborhood level priorities and regional ambitions to assemble a package that can win majority support across Fresno County. For residents, the choice will ultimately be about whether to renew a funding mechanism that emphasizes local street repairs and transit, or to push for a version that keeps larger investments available for projects that knit the region together and serve broader economic flows.
