Published
9 months agoon
Fresno County Sheriff candidate John Zanoni received a major endorsement from the Fresno County district attorney.
David Taub
Politics 101
Lisa Smittcamp officially endorsed Zanoni on Wednesday.
“I have worked with John for many years, and have always been impressed by his dedication to public safety and his willingness to be collaborative. He cares about victims and this community, and I am looking forward to working with him in the future,” Smittcamp said.
Zanoni, an assistant sheriff, also has the endorsement of the woman he wants to succeed, Sheriff Margaret Mims.
Mark Salazar, a Fresno Police Department deputy chief, is the only other candidate. Voters have until June 7 to return ballots or vote in person.
Mims declined to run for a fifth term, having served as the county’s top law enforcer since 2007. She will remain in office until Jan. 2, 2023.
Related Story: How Are the Sheriff’s Candidates Faring in the Fundraising Battle?
At Thursday’s Fresno City Council meeting, Mike Karbassi requested that the council subpoena Tower Theatre owner Laurence Abbate.
Karbassi wanted Abbate to answer questions about city’s purchase of the theater and surrounding properties for $6.5 million. The deal also includes an agreement by the city to defend against any lawsuits and pay any potential damages emerging from the transaction.
But, a majority of Karbassi’s colleagues didn’t think that the questioning was needed. Miguel Arias removed the item from the agenda, and a vote to return it failed, 4-2 (with only Karbassi and Gary Bredefeld in support and Luis Chavez absent).
While the city council has subpoena power, it is rarely — if ever —used. Politics 101 reached out to city attorneys who have served Fresno over the past 30 years. None recalled a subpoena being issued.
Gilbert Felix is now the chief of staff for Fresno City Councilwoman Esmeralda Soria. He replaces longtime chief Terry Cox who left earlier this year to work for the Mayor Jerry Dyer’s administration.
This is Felix’s second time around for Soria, having worked as a staffer previously. He is also running for the State Center Community College District Board of Trustees.
Matt Rogers, a former staffer to then-Sen. Kamala Harris in her Fresno office, is returning to public service.
Rogers will work in California Treasurer Fiona Ma’s communications office. He has been working on his family’s ranch in the interim.
David Taub has spent most of his career in journalism behind the scenes working as a TV assignment editor and radio producer. For more than a decade, he has worked in the Fresno market with such stops at KSEE-24, KMJ and Power Talk 96.7. Taub also worked the production and support side of some of TV sports biggest events including the Super Bowl, the NBA Finals and NASCAR to name a few. Taub graduated from the University of Michigan with dual degrees in communications and political science. You can contact David at 559-492-4037 or at Send an Email