Who will be the next Fresno City Council president? It remains a mystery heading into the first meeting of 2026 on Thursday, Jan. 15.

The city council president presides over meetings, helps set the agenda, and serves as the de facto leader.

Last year, the city council changed the process. Instead of a standard rotation, almost any councilmember can serve in the position. That includes current President Mike Karbassi, the District 2 councilmember representing northwest Fresno. The new rules allow for repeat presidents.

However, to become president a councilmember must have served at least one year. That eliminates District 5 Councilmember Brandon Vang, who won a special election in March 2025.

Based on the traditional rotation, District 3 Councilmember Miguel Arias, who represents southwest Fresno and downtown, would have automatically followed. He has served the past year as vice president.

The new president needs four votes to take office, with as many rounds of voting as necessary.

‘Organic’ Process Expected

One City Hall insider expects the upcoming process to be “organic.”

Councilmember Tyler Maxwell, who represents east-central District 4, said he is not interested in the presidency at this time. He wants to focus on several infrastructure projects in his district.

He is open-minded about whom he may support.

“I’m looking for someone seasoned with experience to push these projects through,” Maxwell said.

Karbassi declined to comment, saying he did not want to influence the process. District 7 Councilmember Nelson Esparza, who represents east-central Fresno, declined comment as well.

Nick Richardson, who represents District 6 in northeast Fresno, said he is not interested in serving as president but may consider vice president.

Four of the seven councilmembers are running for election this year: Karbassi for Fresno County supervisor; Esparza for State Center Community College District trustee (or possibly another office); Annalisa Perea for the state Assembly; and Vang for re-election in his southeast Fresno district.

Vang, Richardson Hold Sham News Conference

Vang and Richardson held a City Hall news conference Wednesday, giving the media 90 minutes notice. Such short notice could suggest urgency.

Instead, Vang and Richardson briefly discussed transparency issues involving city contracts. They failed to provide context about the nature of the problem or propose any legislation to address it.

After a six-minute news conference that mentioned “transparency” eight times and “accountability” four times, Vang and Richardson left without taking questions. Richardson said he had to leave town, raising the question of why the news conference was scheduled so suddenly.

Oh, the irony!

Last year, the city council raised the threshold for approving contracts from $50,000 to $100,000.

Vang called for “stronger transparency and accountability” and increased oversight of such contracts. He also called for reducing the threshold back to $50,000.

Richardson disagreed with Vang about the need to lower the threshold.

“If your aim is to miss the field goal on purpose, it really doesn’t matter where the goalposts are, right?” Richardson said.

Richardson wants all contracts under $100,000 listed on the city website, not just consultant contracts.

Karbassi, who was not at the news conference, said he wants to create an ad hoc city council review committee to update policies, including the city’s transparency act. He is meeting with city department heads for suggestions.

Maddy Report Receives Grant

The Maddy Report, a weekly public affairs TV show produced by the Fresno State-based Maddy Institute, received a $20,000 grant from the James B. McClatchy Foundation’s Democracy Fund.

Maddy Institute Executive Director Blake Zante said he is “deeply grateful” for the support.

“This grant allows us to continue providing a platform where leaders and experts can engage in meaningful dialogue about the issues that matter most to our region,” Zante said in a news release.

The show airs locally every Sunday at 10 a.m. on ABC30.

I will be a guest on a future episode to discuss the upcoming primary election.