Fresno Mayor Jerry Dyer explained during a news conference Monday his reasoning for submitting the city’s version of a transportation tax measure to the Fresno County Clerk just before the 5 p.m. deadline on Friday.

Dyer said city officials, including the city attorney and council president Nelson Esparza, raised concerns about not having any transportation tax measure on the November ballot, about potential litigation by the Board of Supervisors over state efforts to force the Better Roads, Safe Streets measure onto the ballot, and whether the action last week by the governor and legislature to put that measure on the ballot met California’s constitutional urgency requirements.

Citing those concerns and previous actions by the Fresno County Board of Supervisors, Dyer directed staff to file the city measure shortly after 4 p.m. Friday.

Dyer said he remains committed to supporting both the Better Roads, Safe Streets measure and the city’s transportation tax measure if they reach the November ballot.

He emphasized that voters would not face two simultaneous half-cent taxes. Dyer said that if they pass, either of the proposed replacement taxes would take effect only after the existing Measure C half-cent sales tax expires at the end of June 2027. He said on last week’s “Unfiltered” show on GV Wire that even if both of the new tax measures pass, only one would be operative.