New Fresno County Supervisor Garry Bredefeld made clear Tuesday that if he fails to fulfill his campaign promises, it won’t be for lack of trying.

Bredefeld, a former Fresno City Councilmember, ran on a vow to “shake up the good old boys club” at the board. His first official statements on the dais included nine ways to do that.

Unsurprisingly, the incumbent supervisors tried to rein him in.

Bredefeld’s pledges included a bigger county Hall of Records, more transparency about the budget process, opposition to clean needle and drug pipe programs, opposition to mandatory flu vaccines for health care workers, eliminating time limits for public comment during meetings, and better cooperation between the city of Fresno and the county.

“In my campaign, I pledged to bring real change, transparency, and accountability to the county,” Bredefeld said. “We accomplished that for the last eight years at City Hall and we’ll do the same thing here at the Board of Supervisors. I will not be deterred from accomplishing these goals and will never back down from doing what I think is right and important for the people I serve.”

Incoming board chair Buddy Mendes said he would not be as nice as outgoing board chair Nathan Magsig in overseeing meetings.

“Some of the things I don’t like are bloviators and show ponies,” Mendes said.

Chavez Stood by Labor for His Oath

Bredefeld took his oath of office along with fellow newcomer Luis Chavez , also a former councilmember, and Magsig, who is returning to his seat.

Fresno County judge Houry Sanderson administered Bredefeld’s oath, Fresno County Clerk Bernice Seidel administered Magsig’s oath, and SEIU 521 President Riley Talford administered Chavez’s oath.

Chavez said during his opening remarks that he would support county child support services workers and in-home health care workers. Bredefeld also supported in-home health care workers, saying pay does not match caseloads.

“The pandemic changed me as an elected official because I saw what lack of access to health care does to a community, particularly a community that was deemed essential but treated as disposable,” Chavez said.

More Transparency, Faster Results, Fewer Public Health Orders: Bredefeld’s Asks

Bredefeld said he wanted the county’s budget process to be more public.

“We’re dealing with $5 billion of taxpayer money and (taxpayers) should and must be involved in how their money is being spent,” Bredefeld said.

He said the county’s 15-minute time limit on public comment goes against the First Amendment. He also said the county’s clean needle program does not reduce harm and should end.

On elections, he criticized how long it takes to get ballot results back and said he wanted to implement a voter identification rule similar to Huntington Beach’s.

However, Gov. Gavin Newsom signed a law in 2024 banning voter authentication rules that took effect Jan. 1. And, state Attorney General Rob Bonta is pursuing legal action against Huntington Beach.

Fresno County Clerk/Registrar of Voter James Kus said he was encouraged that supervisors want to improve elections. But he pointed out that California’s approach differs from that of other states such as Florida, which Bredefeld cited.

California prioritizes participation and accessibility, Kus said, and counties cannot certify an election in fewer than 10 days.

“Any change to post-election process/length would need to be made at the state legislative level,” Kus told GV Wire. “There have already been several bills put forward by members of the Assembly and state Senate that intend to speed up the post-election process, although none of them have any details yet about how they intend to accomplish that.”

Bredefeld also opposed an order from Fresno County’s interim health officer requiring flu vaccines for health care workers. He said the county should not restrict personal freedoms with orders, mentioning COVID-19 lockdowns and mandates.

Watch: Garry Bredefeld’s Nine Commandments in Under Five Minutes

New County Building Demand Gets Resistance from Incumbent Supervisors

Bredefeld’s last two comments got the most resistance from incumbent supervisors. He received applause from the crowd when he said the board meeting space at the Hall of Records was too small.

“There are many problems with this nearly 100-year old building, including security issues, elevators that at times don’t work, and a facility that just doesn’t meet the needs with a county population of 1.1 million people today,” Bredefeld said.

But Magsig, Mendes, and Supervisor Brian Pacheco said supervisors delayed the decision to get a new building to make sure county departments had new facilities first.

“One of the reasons we’re not in palatial facilities right now is the current board we have is focusing on trying to play catch up because previous boards did not think infrastructure was a place to put resources,” Magsig said.

Seemingly in response to Bredefeld’s commitment to increasing cooperation between the county and city of Fresno, Magsig said the city is but one of 15 cities in the county, making up only 1/60th of the land mass.

And, after welcoming the two new supervisors, Pacheco said the board works differently than Fresno City Council.

“We all have our hopes and our thoughts and our expectations, and then when you come over here, reality sets in,” Pacheco said.