Ralph Edwards is the “voice” of Fresno.

The Fresno native appeared as a contestant on the NBC talent show “The Voice.” A protege of Snoop Dogg, Edwards finished as the Season 28 runner-up last year.

The city honored its latest hometown superstar with a proclamation at Thursday’s Fresno City Council meeting.

“He’s someone I’m incredibly proud of. He’s home grown,” Mayor Jerry Dyer said.

The council chambers were packed to see Edwards, who sang a few bars of “Lights” by Journey — whose lead singer, Steve Perry, is from Hanford. It was the same song Edwards performed at his audition, literally turning the heads and chairs of the celebrity judges.

“I’m just so happy to be representing Fresno,” Edwards said.

Edwards began singing at age three, according to his proclamation. He attended Kastner Middle School, Clovis West High School, and Fresno City College. He lives in Fresno and fronts the band VibeCheck.

Karbassi Re-Elected Council President in Drama-Free Vote

The Fresno City Council chose the drama-free option in electing its next president.

Mike Karbassi will serve as council president for the second year in a row, with Nelson Esparza as vice president. The council voted 6-0 on the first and only ballot, with Annalisa Perea abstaining.

For the first time in 20 years, the city council eschewed its rotational system, allowing a president to serve consecutive terms. Otherwise, Miguel Arias — the vice president in 2025 — would have been slated to advance to council president.

Speculation ramped up ahead of Thursday’s vote at the first city council meeting of the year.

Would the open system lead to a contentious vote? More than one ballot? The answers turned out to be no. Four councilmembers plan to run for office this year — Karbassi (Fresno County supervisor), Esparza (state Board of Equalization), Annalisa Perea (state Assembly) and Brandon Vang (city council).

The city council voted in 2024 to adopt an open system for choosing leadership, knowing Arias would have taken the gavel in 2026.

Councilmember Tyler Maxwell nominated Karbassi and Esparza, with the motion seconded by Arias. Vang spoke highly of both nominees, saying they helped him transition onto the council. Vang won a March 2025 special election to represent District 5 in southeast Fresno.

Karbassi becomes the first city council president to serve consecutive terms since Henry R. Perea in 2001-02.

Last Contested Ballot in 2000

The city council has not needed a second ballot since 2000, when it rejected Ken Steitz from serving a second consecutive year. Two years earlier, in 1998, it took the city council eight ballots to select Chris Mathys as president.

The city council has used a rotational system to select its president since 2006, although it has been tweaked several times.

After Garry Bredefeld won election in 2016, his District 6 seat would have been next in line for the council presidency. The rules at the time required a council president to have served at least one year on the council — something Bredefeld technically achieved as a councilmember from 1997 to 2001.

After Bredefeld’s election, the City Council changed the rules to require one year of service immediately preceding the presidential election — effectively barring Bredefeld.

In 2021, when Bredefeld would have been in the rotation for vice president, the City Council added a provision allowing it to buck the rotation by a majority vote. Again, Bredefeld was bypassed for council leadership.

Xiong Contract Approved

The council approved a new consultant contract for former Fresno City Councilmember Blong Xiong by a 6-0 vote.

Xiong, through his firm BX Consultants LLC, already has a $48,000 contract signed last July with Arias for business outreach, primarily in the Hmong community.

The new deal increases the compensation to $110,000, requiring approval by the city council. Xiong will now negotiate on behalf of the city council over operations at the city-owned Riverside Golf Course. He will also “assist with prime agricultural land preservation,” primarily in the Southeast Development Area.

Vang, an ally of Xiong, asked about the role of the city attorney. City Attorney Andrew Janz said his office ensures the contract is legally sound, but approval rests with the city council.

Councilmember Nick Richardson asked who would receive reports on Xiong’s work. The reports will go to Arias and Karbassi, the sponsors of the contract extension.

Although Arias said the funding would come from his office, a city staff report said it would come from “District 8” — City Hall shorthand for the entire city council.

Karbassi was absent from the vote, citing a personal matter. He plans to run for Fresno County supervisor in District 1.

Xiong has also expressed interest in running for that seat.

Other City Council Notes

Mayor Jerry Dyer announced the city expects to receive the remaining $100 million of a $250 million state commitment for downtown projects. The money is part of Gov. Gavin Newsom’s proposed 2027 state budget.

“It looks like the governor is going to come through,” Dyer told the city council.

City Attorney Andrew Janz withdrew his request for raises for executive assistants in the Fresno City Attorney’s Office. Several already earn more than $90,000 annually. If approved, the pay ceiling would rise to more than $100,000. The item was removed from the agenda with no return date.

The city council voted 7-0 to approve $80 million in state bonds for a downtown housing project. The Park @ South Stadium is a proposed 160-unit housing and retail development at Inyo and Fulton streets downtown, with 40% set aside for affordable housing. Developers Mehmet Noyan and Jeff Isenstadt are behind the project.

Arias and Esparza criticized ICE while referencing immigration enforcement operations around the nation. Arias made an unsubstantiated claim that ICE raids could come to Fresno and Bakersfield. U.S. Customs and Immigration posted Wednesday on X about an arrest in Fresno, but not any impending raids.

Last year, he alleged ICE would raid a local swap meet. That never came to pass, though attendance at the swap meet dwindled.

The city council appointed Larry Westerlund  to the Fresno County Transportation Authority by a 6-0 vote; Arias was absent. The board oversees implementation of Measure C, the countywide transportation sales tax.

Westerlund served on last year’s Measure C steering committee, which made recommendations on what a possible 2026 renewal should include. Measure C expires June 30, 2027. The appointment must be made in consultation with the city of Clovis, which will vote on Westerlund’s selection at a future meeting.

Esparza Running for Tax Board

Esparza settled on the office he will seek this year: state Board of Equalization District 1.

Esparza, D-Fresno, initially announced his run for BOE in 2022. He later switched to a run for state Senate. In 2025, he intended to run for State Center Community College District trustee after Assemblymember Esmeralda Soria announced her state Senate campaign.

Now, it’s back to BOE.

“With continued threats and unstable funding from the federal government, it’s clear that California must take matters into its own hands wherever possible. That’s why I’m running for the California Board of Equalization,” Esparza said in a news release.

Esparza touted several endorsements in relaunching his campaign, including Reps. Jim Costa, D-Fresno, and Adam Gray, D-Merced, as well as Soria.

The five-member board — four elected members and the state controller — oversees the administration and fairness of several state taxes. The expansive District 1 stretches from the Oregon border through parts of Riverside County along the eastern half of the state. District 1 Member Ted Gaines, R-Shingle Springs (El Dorado County), is termed out.

Esparza said he has $100,000 cash on hand in his campaign account.

State Senator Shannon Grove, R-Bakersfield, is also running. Former Assemblymember Jim Patterson, R-Fresno, also has a campaign account, as do lesser-known candidates Howard Knudsen and Tom O’Hallinan.