Fresno County Measure C renewal fails at COG vote

The Fresno Council of Governments Policy Board voted 9-3 on January 8, 2026 not to advance the proposed renewal of Measure C, the 40-year-old county transportation sales tax. The decision effectively killed the COG-led version of the plan that could have raised billions for roads, transit and regional projects, and moves the effort toward potential citizen-led initiatives for 2026.

The vote exposed sharp divisions among mayors, county supervisors and regional staff over how revenue would be split and which projects would be prioritized. County supervisors pressed for a stronger focus on deferred road maintenance, citing aging pavement and persistent pothole complaints across Fresno County. Other members of the board and the steering committee supported larger allocations and benchmarks for alternative transit projects, which supervisors and some elected officials argued were infeasible under current fiscal and implementation conditions.

Executive Director Robert Phipps described the outcome as a disappointment for those who had hoped a coordinated regional plan would clear the political path. With the COG route closed for now, competing groups are likely to try to qualify alternative measures for the ballot. A citizen-led initiative requires only a simple majority to pass, whereas some COG-driven measures can face a two-thirds threshold, altering the calculus for advocates and opponents alike.

For Fresno County residents the immediate implications are practical. Projects that had been pitched as part of a coordinated package - from routine pavement repairs to transit expansions connecting neighborhoods and job centers - now lack a clear funding pathway. Without a ballot measure in place, local agencies may defer or scale back maintenance and construction plans, prolonging service disruptions and the backlog of needed repairs.

The political fallout could reshape local alliances. Some mayors blamed county supervisors for blocking the proposal, while supervisors criticized the steering committee and advocacy groups for pushing requirements they deemed unrealistic. That dynamic sets up a potentially crowded and contentious signature-gathering season if citizen-led campaigns emerge, and it raises questions about which priorities will resonate with voters countywide.

Our two cents? Keep an eye on city council and supervisor meetings and any notices about signature drives. If you care about smoother commutes or better bus service, your attention and participation will help determine whether the next measure focuses on potholes or transit benchmarks.