Please ensure Javascript is enabled for purposes of website accessibility
Big Money Rolling in from Commercial Builders for Local School Bond Measure Campaigns
gvw_nancy_price
By Nancy Price, Multimedia Journalist
Published 1 month ago on
October 4, 2024

A veritable alphabet soup of bond measures are on November's ballot, and nearly $1.2 million has been raised in total by their campaign committees. (GV Wire/Paul Marshall)

Share

Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...

Nearly $1.2 million has been raised so far this year by committees in support of six Fresno-area school and community college bond measures, according to campaign finance reports filed with the Fair Political Practices Commission.

Measures A, H, M, Q, U, and X will be on the ballot in their respective jurisdictions — Clovis Unified, Fresno Unified, Sanger Unified, State Center Community College District, Sierra Unified, and Central Unified — and would raise a total of $1.9 billion in property tax revenues for facilities.

Perhaps not surprisingly, building industry firms such as architects and contractors are some of the biggest donors to the six campaigns, which are being run independently of the school districts and SCCCD.

Six for Six

Darden Architects of Fresno, which has won many school design contracts in the region in recent years, has donated to all six bond measure campaigns for a total of $72,000 as of campaign finance reports filed through Friday.

The largest was $25,000 to State Center’s Measure Q campaign committee and the smallest, $1,500, went to Sierra Unified’s Measure U campaign committee.

Bush Construction of Hanford also has donated to all six campaigns for a total of $53,000. The donations range from $3,000 for the Measure U campaign to $20,000 for Clovis Unified’s Measure A campaign.

PBK Architects, which has an office in Fresno, has donated a total of $52,500 split among four of the bond measure campaigns, with $2,500 going to Measure U and $20,000 apiece to Measure A and Fresno Unified’s Measure H campaigns.

Big Money for Campaigns

State Center’s Measure Q would provide $698 million in property tax revenues collected over a four-county region that includes most of Fresno County and portions of Madera, Tulare, and Kings counties. That campaign committee has raised $573,660 so far this year, including $450,000 from the State Center foundation.

The donors listed include the district’s college presidents and Chancellor Carole Goldsmith, Trustees Deborah Ikeda and Danielle Parra, who are running unopposed on the November ballot, and Austin Ewell, a local businessman who was the only candidate to file for the Area 7 trustee seat being vacated by Richard Caglia.

Fresno Unified’s Measure H would provide $500 million in property tax revenues in the district, which includes the city’s oldest neighborhoods. As of Friday the campaign committee, which is sponsored by the Fresno Teachers Association, had raised $74,138. The total includes $61,000 in cash and $13,138 in in-kind services such as canvassing from the FTA PAC and the Valley Forward Action Fund, whose supporters include various labor unions.

Clovis Unified’s Measure A would provide $400 million in property tax revenues from north Fresno and Clovis residents. The Measure A committee has reported donations this year totaling $290,249, including $280,823 in cash and $9,426 in nonmonetary donations.

The Measure A donors list includes Superintendent Corrine Folmer and 22 other Clovis Unified administrators and staffers, and former Fresno Unified Trustee Brooke Ashjian, who donated $10,000.

Sanger Unified’s Measure M would raise $175 million in property tax revenues from district residents in Sanger and portions of Fresno’s Sunnyside area. The Measure M committee reported donations so far of $186,013, including $36,463 from the Foundation for Sanger Schools and $1,000 from Terry Bradley, Clovis Unified’s former superintendent and now an education consultant.

Smaller Bond Measures

Central Unified’s Measure X would raise $109 million in property tax revenues from residents in northwest and west Fresno. The bond measure campaign committee reported $57,101 in contributions through Friday.

Sierra Unified, which is 0-2 on past bond measure efforts. hopes the third time will be the charm. Measure U’s $24 million in property taxes collected from mountain and foothills residents east of Fresno would go for much-needed repairs and improvements at Sierra High School. The Measure U committee reported raising $16,800 as of Friday.

how much money has been raised so far this year for local bond measure campaigns
(GV Wire/Paul Marshall)

RELATED TOPICS:

DON'T MISS

FEMA Worker Fired After Discriminating Against Trump Supporters in Hurricane Response

DON'T MISS

Trump’s Gains With Latinos Could Reshape American Politics. Democrats Are Struggling to Respond

DON'T MISS

Frustrated Americans Await the Economic Changes They Voted for With Trump

DON'T MISS

Actor Tony Todd, Known for His Role in the Movie ‘Candyman’ and Other Films, Dies at 69

DON'T MISS

Biden and Trump Will Meet in the Oval Office on Wednesday, the White House Says

DON'T MISS

Longtime Los Banos Leader Ahead in Controversial Race to Replace Incumbent Mayor

DON'T MISS

Wink, the Sweet One-Eyed Pup, Seeks a Forever Family

DON'T MISS

The Vance Walberg Era of Bulldog Basketball Begins With a Win Over Sac State

DON'T MISS

Millions Face Health Insurance Crisis as Trump Win Threatens ACA Subsidies

DON'T MISS

Newsom Uses a Stunt to Position Himself as a Leader of Anti-Trump Resistance

UP NEXT

Trump’s Gains With Latinos Could Reshape American Politics. Democrats Are Struggling to Respond

UP NEXT

Frustrated Americans Await the Economic Changes They Voted for With Trump

UP NEXT

Actor Tony Todd, Known for His Role in the Movie ‘Candyman’ and Other Films, Dies at 69

UP NEXT

Biden and Trump Will Meet in the Oval Office on Wednesday, the White House Says

UP NEXT

Longtime Los Banos Leader Ahead in Controversial Race to Replace Incumbent Mayor

UP NEXT

Wink, the Sweet One-Eyed Pup, Seeks a Forever Family

UP NEXT

The Vance Walberg Era of Bulldog Basketball Begins With a Win Over Sac State

UP NEXT

Millions Face Health Insurance Crisis as Trump Win Threatens ACA Subsidies

UP NEXT

Newsom Uses a Stunt to Position Himself as a Leader of Anti-Trump Resistance

UP NEXT

Trump to Target Iran’s Oil Trade in Renewed ‘Maximum Pressure’ Campaign

Nancy Price,
Multimedia Journalist
Nancy Price is a multimedia journalist for GV Wire. A longtime reporter and editor who has worked for newspapers in California, Florida, Alaska, Illinois and Kansas, Nancy joined GV Wire in July 2019. She previously worked as an assistant metro editor for 13 years at The Fresno Bee. Nancy earned her bachelor's and master's degrees in journalism at Northwestern University's Medill School of Journalism. Her hobbies include singing with the Fresno Master Chorale and volunteering with Fresno Filmworks. You can reach Nancy at 559-492-4087 or Send an Email

Actor Tony Todd, Known for His Role in the Movie ‘Candyman’ and Other Films, Dies at 69

12 hours ago

Biden and Trump Will Meet in the Oval Office on Wednesday, the White House Says

12 hours ago

Longtime Los Banos Leader Ahead in Controversial Race to Replace Incumbent Mayor

13 hours ago

Wink, the Sweet One-Eyed Pup, Seeks a Forever Family

18 hours ago

The Vance Walberg Era of Bulldog Basketball Begins With a Win Over Sac State

18 hours ago

Millions Face Health Insurance Crisis as Trump Win Threatens ACA Subsidies

21 hours ago

Newsom Uses a Stunt to Position Himself as a Leader of Anti-Trump Resistance

1 day ago

CA Legislature Sets Record for Women in Office and Could See Historic Gender Parity

1 day ago

Trump to Target Iran’s Oil Trade in Renewed ‘Maximum Pressure’ Campaign

1 day ago

Over 2,500 Central Unified Students Receive Spirit Sweaters at 20th Annual ‘Warm for Winter’

1 day ago

FEMA Worker Fired After Discriminating Against Trump Supporters in Hurricane Response

A Federal Emergency Management Agency worker has been fired after she directed workers helping hurricane survivors not to go to homes with y...

10 hours ago

10 hours ago

FEMA Worker Fired After Discriminating Against Trump Supporters in Hurricane Response

10 hours ago

Trump’s Gains With Latinos Could Reshape American Politics. Democrats Are Struggling to Respond

11 hours ago

Frustrated Americans Await the Economic Changes They Voted for With Trump

12 hours ago

Actor Tony Todd, Known for His Role in the Movie ‘Candyman’ and Other Films, Dies at 69

12 hours ago

Biden and Trump Will Meet in the Oval Office on Wednesday, the White House Says

13 hours ago

Longtime Los Banos Leader Ahead in Controversial Race to Replace Incumbent Mayor

18 hours ago

Wink, the Sweet One-Eyed Pup, Seeks a Forever Family

18 hours ago

The Vance Walberg Era of Bulldog Basketball Begins With a Win Over Sac State

Search

Send this to a friend