The City Hall power struggle between the executive and legislative branches continues. Fresno Mayor Lee Brand exercised his first veto since taking office in 2017, overruling a council vote on the reallocation of City Hall office space. The city council on April 25 voted 5-1 to take space used by...
Council Unanimously Raises a Toast to Liquor Store Cap
Tighter regulation is coming to Fresno’s liquor stores. The Fresno City Council unanimously passed a resolution Wednesday to fix what supporters say is the oversaturation of off-sale alcohol dealers, especially in the central and south parts of the city. Championed by councilman Miguel Arias, the regulations would cap new licenses...
Chabad Fresno Gathers to Remember Poway Shooting Victims
Rabbi Levy Zirkind took the shooting Saturday (April 27) in Poway personally. He knows Chabad of Poway Rabbi Yisroel Goldstein. The two attended Yeshiva (seminary) together in Brooklyn during the 1980s. Zirkind’s son, Rabbi Mendel Zirkind, is friends with Goldstein’s son. Their wives went to school together as well. Both...
'Ghost Town' Council Votes to Take Space from City Manager
Fresno's strong-mayor form of government means most of the city's power is vested in one elected leader. But the city council is waging a floor fight that is testing the limits of that power dynamic. More precisely, it's a "second floor" fight. Council members say they need more space to...
Watch the Video: Did Arias Flip Dyer the Bird? The Parties React.
It was no April Fool’s Day joke. And it’s two-week-old image still reverberating in Fresno political circles. The usual pomp and circumstance took place at an April 1 groundbreaking for a new police substation in southeast Fresno — speeches, smiles, and shovels. But an image, captured on an Instagram account and...
Arias Explains Switcheroo on Anti-Panhandling Signs
On Wednesday, three city councilmembers — Miguel Arias, Garry Bredefeld, Paul Caprioglio — publicly supported the “Help Us, Help Fresno” proposal. Their idea? Place signs discouraging motorists from giving to panhandlers at busy intersections and instead ask for donations to charities helping the homeless. Arias strongly endorsed the signs at...
Dyer Calms Protester, Invites Him to Panhandling Discussion
Fresno Police Chief Jerry Dyer demonstrated his leadership skills Wednesday at a street corner news conference unveiling a plan to discourage panhandling. While city councilmembers Garry Bredefeld, Miguel Arias, and Paul Caprioglio announced their plan, a truck pulled around the corner of Blackstone and Herndon avenues where the news conference...
Who's Out, Who's In, Who's Raised $50K for NW Fresno Special Election?
Phil Arballo is out of the 2019 special election for Fresno City Council District 2. He says, however, he is still in it for the regular 2020 race. Arballo says concerns over election fatigue are the reason for his curious strategy. There could be three elections in a seven-month period....
Politics and Splash Pads. Observations on Grizzlies Opening Night.
The buzz is back. Baseball returned for the 17th Opening Night at Chukchansi Park, and with it a renewal of hope and optimism. It applied to Fresno Grizzlies on the field, in their first year as an affiliate of the Washington Nationals, as well as the politicians involved in the pre-game...
After War of Words, Mayor Orders Street Fight Delay
Fresno Mayor Lee Brand on Tuesday pulled a controversial spending plan for the city’s roads off this week’s city council agenda. “In light of recent rhetoric, I have decided to pull the Administration’s proposed SB1 project plan from Thursday’s Council meeting and schedule meetings with Councilmembers as soon as possible...