For a group with only advisory capacity, the Measure C Steering Committee went on a deep dive into the language to renew Fresno County’s transportation sales tax.

After two and a half hours, there was still work left to do, inching toward final recommendations for the 2026 ballot measure, which is expected to generate $7 billion over 30 years.

On Thursday, the group offered advice to the Fresno Council of Governments on how to implement the plan — or at least tried to.

Committee members submitted comments or proposed changes on several items, then voted on as many as time allowed. The meeting had a hard stop at 5:30 p.m.

Committee Divided on Trails and Roads

The first issue was how many miles of trails Measure C should include. The original plan called for 150 but was reduced to 120. That did not sit well with Mona Cummings, a member representing Tree Fresno. After a 40-minute discussion, the steering committee voted to table the item, sending it back to FCOG staff.

Another item about road spending also created confusion.

Under the proposal’s existing neighborhoods category, 5% could be spent on widening roads if all roads in the jurisdiction meet a minimum pavement condition index score of 65.

Robert Phipps, COG’s executive director, said the goal is “maintenance over expansion.”

City and county road experts expressed concern to the committee, unsure how the plan would be implemented.

Fresno’s average is 64, with half the roads — about 850 miles — falling below the new Measure C standard.

“There’s not enough money in the entire measure to bring all of those roads up to 65,” City of Fresno Public Works Director Scott Mozier told the committee. Clovis Assistant City Manager Paul Armendariz said the same for his city.

“Setting goals that cannot be met is not helping anybody,” said Mohammad Alimi, a design engineer with Fresno County.

Road expansion limits would be exempt if traffic studies show it would reduce fatalities and serious injuries and not impede bicyclists or pedestrians.

The motion to adopt the PCI requirements passed 19-7 with one abstention, but steering committee rules require 70% to pass.

A Final Meeting Next Week

The committee will pick up lingering issues at its next meeting on Thursday, Dec. 11. Remaining items include public transportation and eligibility requirements for a citizens oversight committee.

At a previous meeting, Veronica Garibay of the Leadership Counsel for Justice and Accountability said noncitizens should be allowed to serve. The current proposal requires oversight members to be U.S. citizens at least 18.

Jill Hindenach, an alternate sitting in for Garibay, would not say whether her group will continue challenging the citizenship requirement.

The meeting saw confusion over votes and procedure. Mark Keppler, hired by FCOG to preside over the meetings, said he was unclear on Robert’s Rules of Order — a widely used system for running meetings. One vote initially ruled as failed was later reversed because of a clerical error.

By the time members of the public spoke at the end of the meeting, only 18 committee members remained — technically below a quorum. Under state open meeting laws, no business can take place without a quorum.

Recommendations from the committee would need to be approved by the COG Policy Board — a group composed of the county’s 15 mayors and a Fresno County supervisor — at its next meeting on Dec. 18.

Supervisors would then need to approve the plan, followed by a majority of city councils (by population). Measure C would then return to the supervisors to be placed on the ballot by August 2026.

Supervisor Buddy Mendes has said the steering committee’s spending plan is “dead on arrival.”

If it makes it to the ballot, voters would need to approve it by a two-thirds margin. There is still a possibility that an alternative transportation tax could reach the ballot if a group collects enough signatures. That effort would require only a simple majority to pass.

Spending Plan Already Approved

Last month, the group advised the Fresno Council of Governments on the spending plan for renewing the half-cent sales tax, which expires in June 2027. If it is not renewed by voters in November 2026, the county could lose billions. The committee recommended a 30-year tax — the 1986 measure and 2006 renewal were for 20 years — which is estimated to yield $7 billion. Each of the county’s 15 incorporated cities would receive a minimum of $400,000 annually.

The plan calls for spending 65% on existing neighborhood streets and roads, 25% on public transportation, 5% on regional connectivity, 4% on transportation innovation, and 1% on administration.

Several Controversies With Committee

The steering committee met several times in the spring and worked through multiple controversies. Appointed by COG staff, the group was expanded from 24 to 38 members in a deal with the social justice group Transportation for All. The agreement prevented Transportation for All from soliciting signatures to create its own version of Measure C.

Expanding the group drew pushback from several conservative voices, including Brooke Ashjian, a steering committee member and CEO of Seal Rite Paving. He was removed from the committee for voicing his displeasure before being allowed to rejoin after an outcry from officials including Fresno Mayor Jerry Dyer, who recommended him. Ashjian later quit for good.

Another group of transportation experts — including former leaders of COG, Caltrans and the Fresno County Transportation Authority — criticized the spending plan and even discussed creating its own version of Measure C for voters.

COG also fired its consultant, Kendall Flint, who helped establish the committee and choose its members. Initially closed to the public, the group later opted to hold open meetings.