Please ensure Javascript is enabled for purposes of website accessibility

West Bank Town Becomes ‘Big Prison’ as Israel Fences It In

2 days ago

Trump Says He’s Willing to Let Migrant Farm Laborers Stay in US

2 days ago

US Electric Vehicle Tax Breaks Will Expire on Sept. 30

3 days ago

Eyeing Arctic Dominance, Trump Bill Earmarks $8.6 Billion for US Coast Guard Icebreakers

3 days ago

Trump’s Sweeping Tax-Cut and Spending Bill Wins Congressional Approval

3 days ago

Americans Celebrate Their Independence With Record-Breaking Travel Numbers

3 days ago

US Supreme Court to Decide Legality of Transgender School Sports Bans

3 days ago

Nvidia Set to Become the World’s Most Valuable Company in History

3 days ago

Poll: 41% in US ‘Extremely Proud’ to Be American, Near Historic Low

3 days ago
Fresno Police Chief Pick Now Down to Two. Hall Prepares for Transition.
David Taub Website photo 2024
By David Taub, Senior Reporter
Published 5 years ago on
November 3, 2020

Share

Two finalist remain for the Fresno police chief position.

At a news conference about crime suppression on Monday afternoon, current chief Andy Hall said it is down an internal and external candidate.

Photo of GV Wire's David Taub

David Taub

Politics 101

Multiple sources have told Politics 101 that the internal candidate is deputy chief Mark Salazar; the external candidate is Oklahoma City Police Department deputy chief Paco Balderrama.

There were at least five others interviewed for the position. Salazar was the only local candidate.

Hall faces mandatory retirement on April 1, 2021. He succeeded the retiring Jerry Dyer last August. Dyer won election for mayor last March and will be sworn in this coming January.


Also in Politics 101: 

  • Chief Hall says he will help with new chief transition.
  • Drastic voting change happening in Clovis? Council will decide.
  • Jesse Ventura is running for president.

Helping With the Transition

Hall is willing to help the new chief transition to the top job.

“I committed to the mayor that I would stay as long as needed to transition to the new chief. I’ve been working with all of my deputy chiefs very closely since day one when I became the chief to get them prepared and take over this organization. I believe they are well on their way there,” Hall said.

Hall said an outsider chief will take more time to prepare.

“However, if we bring in a new chief from outside, we do have to teach that chief a new language. They have to meet all the community members. It’s going to require a significant more input from me to get a chief prepared. I’m ready and willing to stay as long as that takes,” Hall said.

Hall did not know when a final announcement could be made. The final pick will come from Mayor Lee Brand, city manager Wilma Quan, and Mayor-elect Jerry Dyer.

Changes to Clovis Elections?

The Clovis City Council is considering moving to district-based elections, even though it says it doesn’t have to.

The first move is tonight, declaring its intent to review 2020 census and March 2021 election data.

There are five council members, chosen by the entire Clovis electorate. March 2 is the next election for the seats held by Lynne Ashbeck and Vong Mouanoutoua. This will also be the last odd-year election.

Council elections will take place in November of even years starting in 2022.

Several jurisdictions, including cities and school boards, have had to move from at-large to district-based elections to fulfill state and federal voting mandates.

Clovis says the current at-large system satisfies voting laws because “there is no evidence of racially polarized voting in the City’s elections dating back to 2010, and further, the data shows that the current demographic makeup of the City Council reasonably reflects the demographics of the City.”

If the council does move to district elections, it would start an entire new process to determine what those boundaries would be, including a series of public meetings. Because of the pandemic, Gov. Gavin Newsom essentially suspended such procedures needed for the time being. Census data is expected to be released in July 2021.

Californians Can Vote for ‘The Body’

While President Donald Trump and Joe Biden are the major party candidates for president, Jesse “The Body” Ventura is also a qualified candidate on the California ballot.

Six parties qualified for the ballot — Republican, Democrat, Green, Libertarian, Peace and Freedom and American Independent.

Ventura is one of five candidates to qualify in California as a write-in. He is not running with any party.

The former Minnesota governor and pro wrestling Hall of Famer is not the only non-major party candidate with name recognition. On the printed ballot, recording artist Kanye West is the vice presidential candidate on the AI ticket with Rocky De La Fuente at the top.

[activecampaign form=25]

DON'T MISS

What Are Fresno Real Estate Experts Predicting for 2025 and Beyond?

DON'T MISS

First California EV Mandates Hit Automakers This Year. Most Are Not Even Close

DON'T MISS

How Trump’s ‘Big, Beautiful Bill’ Will Make China Great Again

DON'T MISS

What’s Caitlin Clark Worth to the WNBA? A Lot More Than Her $78,066 Salary.

DON'T MISS

Trump to Sign Tax-Cut and Spending Bill in July 4 Ceremony

DON'T MISS

Madre Fire Spurs Evacuations Across 3 Counties, Grows to More Than 70,000 Acres

DON'T MISS

Clovis, Sanger, Madera, and Bass Lake Will Light the Sky With Fireworks Shows Tonight

DON'T MISS

Oil Dips Ahead of Expected OPEC+ Output Increase

DON'T MISS

613 Killed at Gaza Aid Distribution Sites, Near Humanitarian Covoys, Says UN

DON'T MISS

Fresno County Authorities Investigating Suspicious Death of Transient Man

DON'T MISS

West Bank Town Becomes ‘Big Prison’ as Israel Fences It In

DON'T MISS

Israeli Military Kills 20 in Gaza as Trump Awaits Hamas Reply to Truce Proposal

UP NEXT

Valadao, Costa Spar on What Passage of Trump’s Bill Means for Medicaid Recipients

UP NEXT

Trump Impounds Billions in Education Funding. For Fresno Unified, It’s $7.1 Million

UP NEXT

Americans Celebrate Their Independence With Record-Breaking Travel Numbers

UP NEXT

Poll: 41% in US ‘Extremely Proud’ to Be American, Near Historic Low

UP NEXT

Who is Running for Fresno Area Offices in 2026? An Updated Look

UP NEXT

Poorest Americans Dealt Biggest Blow Under Senate Republican Tax Package

UP NEXT

Check Out Newest Downtown Mural. It’s a Spectacular Tribute to Fresno Artisans

UP NEXT

Dear Mayor and City Council, Fresno’s Housing Bottlenecks Are a Modern Form of Redlining

UP NEXT

Poll: Most Americans Say National Divide, Political Violence Threaten Democracy

UP NEXT

Trump Pulls Back 150 Guard Troops From Federal Duties in California

David Taub,
Senior Reporter
Curiosity drives David Taub. The award-winning journalist might be shy, but feels mighty with a recorder in his hand. He doesn't see it his job to "hold public officials accountable," but does see it to provide readers (and voters) the information needed to make intelligent choices. Taub has been honored with several writing awards from the California News Publishers Association. He's just happy to have his stories read. Joining GV Wire in 2016, Taub covers politics, government and elections, mainly in the Fresno/Clovis area. He also writes columns about local eateries (Appetite for Fresno), pro wrestling (Off the Bottom Rope), and media (Media Man). Prior to joining the online news source, Taub worked as a radio producer for KMJ and PowerTalk 96.7 in Fresno. He also worked as an assignment editor for KCOY-TV in Santa Maria, California, and KSEE-TV in Fresno. He has also worked behind the scenes for several sports broadcasts, including the NCAA basketball tournament, and the Super Bowl. When not spending time with his family, Taub loves to officially score Fresno Grizzlies games. Growing up in the San Francisco Bay Area, Taub is a die-hard Giants and 49ers fan. He graduated from the University of Michigan with dual degrees in communications and political science. Go Blue! You can contact David at 559-492-4037 or at Send an Email

Madre Fire Spurs Evacuations Across 3 Counties, Grows to More Than 70,000 Acres

2 days ago

Clovis, Sanger, Madera, and Bass Lake Will Light the Sky With Fireworks Shows Tonight

2 days ago

Oil Dips Ahead of Expected OPEC+ Output Increase

2 days ago

613 Killed at Gaza Aid Distribution Sites, Near Humanitarian Covoys, Says UN

2 days ago

Fresno County Authorities Investigating Suspicious Death of Transient Man

2 days ago

West Bank Town Becomes ‘Big Prison’ as Israel Fences It In

2 days ago

Israeli Military Kills 20 in Gaza as Trump Awaits Hamas Reply to Truce Proposal

2 days ago

Valley Crime Stoppers’ Most Wanted Person of the Day: Rachelle Maria Blanco

2 days ago

Russia Pounds Kyiv With Largest Drone Attack, Hours After Trump-Putin Call

2 days ago

Boxer Chavez Jr Expected to Be Deported to Mexico to Serve Sentence, Mexican President Says

2 days ago

How Trump’s ‘Big, Beautiful Bill’ Will Make China Great Again

Can you hear it — that loud roar coming from the East? It’s the sound of 1.4 billion Chinese laughing at us. Thomas L. Friedman The New Yo...

21 hours ago

Solar Farm in Riesel, Texas
21 hours ago

How Trump’s ‘Big, Beautiful Bill’ Will Make China Great Again

Caitlin Clark Signs T-Shirt
21 hours ago

What’s Caitlin Clark Worth to the WNBA? A Lot More Than Her $78,066 Salary.

President Donald Trump speaks during a press conference in the Roosevelt Room at the White House in Washington, D.C., U.S., May 12, 2025. (Reuters File)
2 days ago

Trump to Sign Tax-Cut and Spending Bill in July 4 Ceremony

The Madre Fire burning near New Cuyama has scorched 70,801 acres as of Friday, July 4, 2025, afternoon, making it California’s largest wildfire of the year, with only 10% containment and multiple evacuation zones in place. (CalFire)
2 days ago

Madre Fire Spurs Evacuations Across 3 Counties, Grows to More Than 70,000 Acres

2 days ago

Clovis, Sanger, Madera, and Bass Lake Will Light the Sky With Fireworks Shows Tonight

A pumpjack operates at the Vermilion Energy site in Trigueres, France, June 14, 2024. (Reuters File)
2 days ago

Oil Dips Ahead of Expected OPEC+ Output Increase

Palestinians gather to collect what remains of relief supplies from the distribution center of the U.S.-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, in Rafah, in the southern Gaza Strip, June 5, 2025. (Reuters File)
2 days ago

613 Killed at Gaza Aid Distribution Sites, Near Humanitarian Covoys, Says UN

Billy Wayne Sinisgalli, a 54-year-old transient known locally as Wayne, was found dead along a rural Fresno road Wednesday in what authorities are investigating as a suspicious death. (Fresno County SO)
2 days ago

Fresno County Authorities Investigating Suspicious Death of Transient Man

Help continue the work that gets you the news that matters most.

Search

Send this to a friend