Arguments made by Fresno Mayor Lee Brand and other local business leaders convinced Gov. Gavin Newsom to veto Senate Bill 531 on Saturday. SB 531, authored by state Sen. Steve Glazer (D-Orinda) would have stopped cities from offering sales-tax incentives as an economic development tool. Listen to this article: ...
District 2 Candidates Aim to Make Fresno More Business-Friendly
OK, let's have a show of hands: Is Fresno City Hall not sufficiently business-friendly? That was the question posed to four men who want to represent northwest Fresno on the city council. All four raised a hand at a July 31 candidate forum presented by GV Wire and CMAC. It's...
Editorial: Fresno Needs Tax Incentives, Not SB 531
In a perfect world, Fresno and other inland California cities would not need tax-sharing incentives to convince major companies such as Amazon and Ulta to build distribution centers in their locales. But, as we know, the world isn't perfect. And in California — where the poverty rate is among the...
Janz Takes Swings at Brand in 2020 Mayoral Opening Round
The gloves are off in the 2020 Fresno mayoral race, and it’s only the opening bell. Surrounded by 60 or so supporters, Andrew Janz officially announced his entry into the race for the city’s top leadership job. He called himself a fresh breath of air, hoping to defeat the current occupant...
What Should Fresno Be Thankful For? Let’s Start With 5.3% Unemployment.
One of the best things about Thanksgiving is that it prompts us to look to the bright side and count our blessings. Aside from my familial blessings, the thing I'm most thankful for is the turnaround in Fresno's economic trajectory. The city's unemployment rate in October was 5.3%. Ten years ago,...