On Tuesday, April 1, Clovis sales tax goes up a full percentage point, making the city among the highest taxed in Fresno County, trailing only Mendota and Reedley.

The hike means an additional $10 on a $1,000 washer. Or 5 cents on a $5 coffee.

Clovis voters in November 2024 overwhelmingly approved Measure Y, billed as the city’s way of filling funding gaps for public safety.

Last week, the city council heard how staff proposed spending the anticipated $26 million in annual revenue.

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Saying the city is upholding its promise to use the money for public safety, City Manager Andy Haussler said 92% goes to police and fire. The rest gets divided amongst youth and parks programs, road repair, and beautification.

But given the economic uncertainty on the horizon, some councilmembers worried about dedicating too much money with no guarantee that consumers will spend at previous levels.

“There’s nothing worse than hiring 12 police officers, six firefighters and a partridge in a pear tree and then going, ‘just kidding, we can’t afford you,’ ” said Councilmember Lynne Ashbeck.

Measure Y to Help Pay for 12 Police Positions, 6 Fire Positions

Measure Y increases the sales tax rate to 8.975%. The new rate puts it above Fresno’s 8.35%. The ballot initiative needed only a simple majority to pass, but nearly 67% of voters approved of it.

Sales tax does not apply to real property, rent, groceries, or prescription medication.

Without Measure Y, Haussler said the city would have had a $5 million budget shortfall this year. Expenses grew faster than inflation, and sales tax revenues in 2024 declined by 4.5% from the previous year, he said.

Staff expects sales tax to grow by 3% this year.

The $15.7 million from Measure Y going to police would help pay for 12 positions, mostly in patrol and specialty units, Haussler said. Specialty units would be in code enforcement, animal services, youth programs, investigations, traffic, and homelessness.

The Clovis Fire Department would get $8.6 million, or enough to pay for 6.5 positions, meaning about one squad or one engine crew to reduce response times.

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Both police and fire would get pooling funds for new fleets and facilities.

Clovis Mayor Vong Mouanoutoua said the 92% dedication to public safety surpasses the 86% typically spent on the budget.

“We’re actually going above and beyond,” Mouanoutoua said.

Other Funding to Help Pay for Parks, Road Maintenance

Other expenses budgeted from the tax hike:

• $480,000 for an additional tree crew for parks and park repairs
• $480,000 for additional road maintenance, traffic lights, street lights
• $460,000 for addressing homelessness
• $215,000 for youth programs, including two positions
• $508,000 for 1.5 positions to help with Measure Y accounting

Staff Built in Rainy Day Cushions: Finance Director

Councilmembers will begin hearing detailed department budgets in April, Mouanoutoua told GV Wire. They will vote on a budget late May or early June, he said. Councilmembers doesn’t approve of Measure Y spending so much as it gets baked into the regular budget process, he said.

Ashbeck said during the meeting she didn’t like the idea of spending as much money as they project to collect.

“The forecasts are not great, the economy is not solid,” she said. “I would suggest that in year one we have $12 million to spend.”

Clovis Finance Director Jay Schengel said staff built in cushions for lower-than-expected revenues. Fleet and facility budget amounts wouldn’t be spent right away, but would instead pool over years. He said funding gaps could be made up from those sources.

“This is a conservative plan because you have a lot of room to navigate those buckets of money,” Schengel said.