Dueling lawsuits in Fresno Superior Court ask the same question: Did Measure P pass with 52% of the vote? As instructed by the Fresno City Council last week, the city attorney filed suit asking a judge to settle the controversy. Did the measure that would raise the city sales tax...
Measure P Attorney Asks City to Start Collecting Fresno Parks Tax
Measure P, the 2018 sales tax initiative for parks, may not have failed after all. Last November, 52% of Fresno voters favored it. However, voters were told it needed two-thirds approval to pass. Thus, the measure failed. Or did it? An attorney, on behalf of Measure P advocate Fresno Building...
They Made the News in 2018. Who Is No. 1?
Newsmakers come in all shapes, sizes, and impacts. There are those who dominate headlines and social media for a spell before free-falling back into obscurity. There are those who — by virtue of talent, position, and personality — make lasting marks on a community. And there are those who occupy...
Chavez Says Fresno Growth Plan Is a Dud. Wants Fixes in 2019.
Luis Chavez has seen enough of the 4-year-old Fresno General Plan to conclude that it's not working nearly well enough. He sees residential housing exploding in Clovis, Madera, and other surrounding cities, and calculates the extra miles traveled daily by people who work in Fresno — and the vehicle emissions...
Does Swearengin Want Spot in Newsom Cabinet? Watch Answer.
After arranging a 60-person roundtable with Gov.-elect Gavin Newsom, is Ashley Swearengin interesting in working in his administration? “I am not. I am very happy with the work I’m doing at the Central Valley Community Foundation," Swearengin said. "I love being able to continue to make the Valley better. But...
Newsom Waffles on Valley Appointments to University Boards
Gov.-elect Gavin Newsom hedged on a campaign promise to appoint Valley members to the University of California and California State University boards. Newsom paid Fresno his first visit since winning election last month. He appeared at three events during the day. Newsom said he couldn’t make a Valley appointment, even...
No Pension Plan Where You Work? CalSavers to the Rescue.
For years, employees at many businesses didn't have pensions or 401(k) retirement plans. California's solution is CalSavers. "CalSavers will help facilitate the most ambitious expansion of our retirement savings system since the creation of Social Security in 1935," says state Treasurer John Chiang. Chiang, the chair of the CalSavers board...
Valadao’s Lead is Razor Thin. A Deep Dive Into Remaining Ballots.
Will the Democratic Blue Wave knock Rep. David Valadao out of his 21st congressional seat? The race is now so close that the winner — the three-term Republican incumbent or challenger TJ Cox — might not be known until the Dec. 7 deadline for counties to certify the election. But...
‘White Flight’ Undermines Fresno Economy, Neighborhoods: Swearengin
The Urban Institute has published a mid-October interview conducted by Erica C. Poethig with former Fresno Mayor Ashley Swearengin. In the article "How local philanthropy is addressing Fresno, California’s severe economic inequities," Poethig, who is the institute's vice president and chief innovation officer, asks Swearengin: "What led to Fresno’s social...
Face-Off on Measure P: Ashley Swearengin and Lee Brand
View the video above to watch former Mayor Ashley Swearengin and Mayor Lee Brand discuss their views on Measure P.