A discussion on legal representation during Thursday’s Fresno Council of Governments Policy Board meeting at times turned nasty.

Fresno County Supervisor Garry Bredefeld and Parlier Mayor Alma Beltran traded harsh words during a debate about possible conflicts of interest involving the Fresno County Counsel’s Office, which also represents Fresno COG.

The policy board is a confederation of mayors from Fresno County’s 15 cities, along with a representative from the Fresno County Board of Supervisors.

Earlier in the week, during a Fresno County Board of Supervisors meeting, Bredefeld asked county counsel to investigate Fresno COG and whether a citizen-led group collecting signatures is properly using data from Fresno COG staff. Fresno County Counsel Doug Sloan told Bredefeld the review would take 45 days.

That request created a potential conflict for county counsel, which has staffed Fresno COG meetings for decades. The policy board floated several ideas on how to resolve the issue, but ultimately stuck with the status quo.

“It’s about the accusations that the county has been threatening and pushing its attorneys at the county level to come after COG. That is the problem. It stems from there, not with their representation,” Beltran said.

At its Jan. 7 meeting, the policy board voted not to pursue placing a Measure C renewal on the November 2026 ballot. The half-cent transportation sales tax measure expires next year. Moving Forward Together, a citizen group with financial backing from the Central Valley Community Foundation, is in the process of collecting signatures.

Bredefeld and Beltran frequently spoke over each other, expressing constant frustration. Bredefeld bristled at Beltran cutting him off.

“You and (Supervisor) Buddy Mendes always said it was dead on arrival, so we had no other way we could have handled it, but we couldn’t move forward,” Beltran said.

“That’s bulls—,” Bredefeld responded.

“You created that bulls—,” Beltran retorted.

The two punctuated the hourlong debate in a near-shouting match, each saying they were causing a “sh– show.”

Recusal Debate

Sloan staffed the policy board meeting, which was unusual because a junior county attorney has appeared in the past. He agreed that Bredefeld’s request created a conflict of interest — an attorney investigating an agency he is supposed to represent.

“Whether or not there’s an actual conflict is really not the issue. It’s that at least there’s a perception of a conflict, there could be. So we want to play it safe and have the county counsel’s office recuse itself as to representation of COG for now,” Sloan said.

The policy board debated, if it sought a new legal adviser, what items a new attorney would provide advice on and for how long. The term was determined to be 60 days. However, the board could not decide on parameters for the items to be covered.

A vote to hire a new attorney for only Measure C-related items received an 8-7 vote, one vote short of passing. Nine votes are required because there are 16 board members.

A second vote to hire an outside attorney for advice on all issues received nine votes, but under the Fresno COG system, those votes must come from mayors representing a majority of the population — namely the city of Fresno. Fresno City Councilmember Annalisa Perea — subbing for Mayor Jerry Dyer — voted no because she favored recusals on Measure C-related items only.

That left the board with the status quo, in which the county would have to recuse itself at least on Measure C-related issues. Sloan suggested that Fresno COG’s executive director could hire an attorney without a board vote if the amount is $10,000 or less.

Sloan said whether he would have to recuse himself from providing advice to the Board of Supervisors still needs to be explored.

One issue was resolved regarding whether the policy board vote on Jan. 7 to abandon Measure C was proper. Sloan said that although the vote did not comply with Robert’s Rules of Order, it would not invalidate the intention to no longer pursue the measure. The board would have to decide its meaning. Bredefeld, who earlier questioned the vote, did not pursue any further action.

Board Refuses to Pay Keppler More

While the board couldn’t agree on its attorney, it did unanimously agree not to pay its Measure C facilitator additional money.

Mark Keppler took over duties leading the Measure C steering committee meetings last August. A mediator by trade, he agreed to a $50,000 contract. He said he would keep his hours — billed at $315 an hour — and ask for more money if his work exceeded the threshold. Keppler later submitted an invoice totaling $95,681. Fresno COG administration asked the board to pay just $25,000 more.

The board voted 14-0 to keep Keppler at the agreed-upon amount.

Bredefeld called the money for Keppler “outrageous” and a waste of taxpayer money.

One mayor noted this was the only time the board fully agreed on a Measure C issue.

Keppler did not respond to a message for comment.

Watch ‘The Maddy Report’ on Sunday

I will be a guest on “The Maddy Report,” airing at 5 p.m. on ABC30 this Sunday, Feb. 1.

The episode, titled “On the Ballot: Previewing the 2026 Primary Election” features ABC30 City Hall and Courts Reporter Gabe Ferris and myself, along with Blake Zante, executive director of The Maddy Institute.

We will discuss the upcoming election, including the governor’s race and other state and local contests.

Dyer Getting National Coverage

Fresno Mayor Jerry Dyer criticized immigration enforcement tactics this week while speaking at the U.S. Conference of Mayors meeting in Washington, D.C.

His remarks are getting national attention. The New York Times picked up Dyer’s comments.

“ICE has not learned the central lesson that the nation’s police departments learned after Floyd’s death, said Jerry P. Dyer, the Republican mayor and former police chief of Fresno, California. “In order for police to be accepted in communities, they have to have permission to police those communities from the people who live there,” he said.

Instead, Dyer said, federal agents are not using policing techniques that build trust, like de-escalation and the use of body cameras. “They’re not trusted because of the manner in which they operate,” he said.

Dyer and other police officials said they had no problem with immigration enforcement, done properly. And many Americans support the Trump administration’s immigration crackdown. Differing views have translated into conflicting requests for local departments, with some residents asking the police to do more to assist federal agents, while others demand that the police block or even arrest them.

At least the New York Times got his name right. An AP story — carried by several affiliates — listed him as “Dryer.” Maybe they confused him with Hunter.

Fresno Council Passes Transparency Resolutions

The Fresno City Council advanced two resolutions to improve transparency at its meeting Thursday.

Information such as financial disclosures and lobbyist contracts will now be on one city webpage after the council approved a transparency measure, 7-0. City Manager Georgeanne White said the basic site with links can be operational in 30 days. Searchable databases may take a while longer.

Councilmembers Miguel Arias and Brandon Vang sponsored the act. Arias said in the last six months of 2025, the city received nearly 4,700 Public Records Act requests. He said the city can improve ways to access public information.

“If we simply make more information available, like other jurisdictions have in one single site online that’s searchable, it would actually allow us to not have to spend so much time in the back end with attorneys reviewing public records and responding to public records requests. And it would make it more efficient and easier for the public to receive information,” Arias said.

The proposal came after the controversy over former Councilmember Luis Chavez’s contracts with political consultant Alex Tavlian in 2025. The contracts — both for $100,000 — appeared to violate the city’s rules requiring a vote on any contract over $100,000 in a fiscal year, either individually or cumulatively.

Vang said the act is about accountability.

“This is one example of best practices. The intent of this transparency act was to make sure that it is transparent, that taxpayers’ dollars that were spent, that were reported, and that were held accountable,” Vang said.

The council also approved, 7-0, a proposal from City Council President Mike Karbassi to form a three-member ad-hoc committee to review city policies. The committee will sunset in January 2027. Karbassi will serve as chair, joined by Vang and Nick Richardson.

Leon Barraza Chides Vang

Jose Leon Barraza, a member of the city’s parks commission, had some pointed words for Vang.

Leon Barraza plans to run against Vang for the District 5 city council seat representing southeast Fresno. He spoke during public comment at Thursday’s meeting, unhappy about funds flowing into District 5.

Noting the money going to other districts, Leon Barraza said those councilmembers are doing their jobs.

“Councilmember Vang, I hope that we can get more resources for District 5, because this is not fair. This is not equity that all the funds are going to other places and not to District 5,” Leon Barraza said.

Vang had no reaction. He defeated Leon Barraza and several others to win the seat in a March 2025 special election.