Fresno City Council candidates, tell us about yourselves. Three of the five men seeking to fill the council's empty seat and represent the city's northwest residents laid out their backgrounds and their ties to District 2 at a recent candidates forum. Attorney Jared Gordon, business owner Mike Karbassi, and special-needs...
Does Fresno Need More Police? What District 2 Candidates Say
The $1.2 billion Fresno city budget approved last month for the 2019-20 fiscal year includes no increases in sworn police officers. That doesn't sit well with at least one candidate for the open seat on the Fresno City Council. Three of the five men vying for the District 2 seat...
Fresno Council Passes $1.2B Budget. What Will Mayor Do?
The Fresno City Council approved a $1.2 billion budget Thursday, but Mayor Lee Brand said he still might use his veto pen. In their eyes, council members got around being over budget by delaying some items, rescheduling them for the mid-year budget review in January. Those include spending on a community...
District 2 Candidates Weigh in on Homeless, Police, Potholes
Three candidates vying in a special election to fill the open District 2 seat on the Fresno City Council gathered Wednesday in a forum presented by GV Wire and CMAC to give their opinions about police, homelessness, and reaching out to residents. The forum served as an introduction for many...
Council Increases Fire Fees on New Fresno Construction
A week after balking at raising fire impact fees for residential and commercial construction, the Fresno City Council approved a plan that will raise them 143%. The impact fees, which would help the fire department build new stations, are currently $779 for a single family home. That would climb to...
No Cops, No Budget, Says City Council Candidate Karbassi
Fresno City Council hopeful Mike Karbassi wants District 2 to know he is the law and order candidate. At a fundraiser Tuesday night at the Sierra Sport and Racquet Club, having police chief Jerry Dyer and district attorney Lisa Smittcamp in attendance was a good start. Dyer himself is running...
Candidate with Strong Ties to Swearengin Joins Race for Fresno Mayor
The 2020 Fresno mayoral election has a new entrant. Elliott Balch, chief operating officer of the Central Valley Community Foundation, filed paperwork with the city clerk Wednesday. Balch also spearheaded the Measure P campaign to raise the city's sales tax for parks improvements. That effort fell short in 2018. Former Mayor...
Six Will Battle for Brandau’s Vacated Seat. Hunsaker Doesn’t File.
Six candidates are officially running in the Aug. 13 special election for the vacant northwest Fresno City Council seat. The deadline passed Friday, and one notable name is not on the list. Debbie Hunsaker, the president of construction support company Alert-O-Lite, did not return the paperwork to run. Â Previously, she...
Next! Candidates Line Up for NW Fresno Council Seat
With Steve Brandau holding a commanding lead in the special election for Fresno County supervisor, attention now turns to his Fresno City Council seat. At least five candidates are planning to run in the subsequent special election to fulfill the remainder of Brandau’s term. Brandau has a 5,731-vote lead over...
It's Kiss and Cry as New Council Sworn In
It was kiss and cry at the Fresno City Council chambers on Thursday (Jan. 10), as the ceremonial swearing-in took place for four members: incumbents Esmeralda Soria and Luis Chavez, as well as newcomers Miguel Arias and Nelson Esparza. But, the most often heard phrase heard throughout City Hall: “This...