As someone younger in their career, I take exception to the Letter to the Editor from the Central Valley Young Republicans. Their mischaracterization of Measure S deserves rebuttal.

Contrary to the misrepresentation by the Young Republicans, Measure S is the only transportation measure on the ballot in Fresno County that is guaranteed to fix our local streets and roads. As this measure is a replacement of our current half-cent sales tax for transportation in Fresno County, Measure S does not raise taxes.

It was designed by citizens of the community with and requires citizen oversight once enacted. It is the only transportation that is keeps the status quo of our sales taxes across the county the same and is required to dedicate the funds to fixing local streets and roads.

In 2026, there are very few things that Republican, Independent, and Democratic voters can agree on. Measure S brings together people from the political right and left in endorsing this community-driven transportation plan.

Indeed, some of Measure S’s most public defenders have been Clovis Mayor Vong Mouanoutoua and Fresno Mayor Jerry Dyer. These civic leaders understand that the stakes are too high for the measure to fail. It has brought a bipartisan coalition that wants to see better roads, safer means to get to work, and children with safe routes to school.

Measure C fulfilled the role it had by building out Fresno’s freeway system, and now it’s time for Measure S, which focuses on what taxpayers say they want most — fixing their local roads with their local dollars.

Matthew Gee, chair of the Fresno County Young Republicans, wrote that Fresno County will create a “public transit-dependent, cluttered way of life” without citing any specific data from the measure. Thus, the opposition is doing what campaigns with little merit to stand on always do — use hyperbolic fear tactics.

If readers are on the fence, I encourage them to go to the Measure S campaign website and see who endorses the campaign. Eleven of 15 county mayors are endorsing it, along with 30 city councilmembers, the Clovis Chamber of Commerce, Fresno Association of Realtors, the Fresno Madera Medical Society, the California Nurses Association, the League of Women Voters, and dozens of additional individual and organizational supporters.

Measure S  is the only measure that was drafted with input from thousands of Fresno County residents and has the strongest bipartisan coalition I have witnessed in Fresno County.

Vote “yes” on S!

STETLER BROWN, M.A.
Clovis

Make Your Voice Heard

GV Wire encourages vigorous debate from people and organizations on local, state, national, and international issues. Submit your op-ed or letter to bmcewen@gvwire.com for consideration.