County sales tax hike to support Fresno State will go before voters in November
Fresno County voters will decide in November whether to increase the local sales tax to benefit Fresno State academic and athletics programs, after the Board of Supervisors added it to the ballot Tuesday.
The vote adding the measure passed unanimously at the county supervisors’ regular meeting, despite objections that it does not address the needs of students challenged to find housing and adequate food supplies while attending the region’s largest university.
The Fresno State Improvement Zone Committee, led by construction company owner Richard Spencer, proposed the sales tax increase of 0.2%. The tax would apply to the gross receipts of all retailers’ sales or all tangible personal property in the county, and to the sales price of tangible personal property purchased from any retailers for the storage, use or other consumption in the county of that property. For the consumer, that would amount to 2 cents on a $10 purchase.
In Reedley, the tax would be 0.025%. The tax would run for 20 years and generate an estimated annual average of $36 million with a stated use to expand the nursing, agriculture, criminology and engineering/STEM programs at the university, provide scholarships for local and low-income students and funding to repair and upgrade campus infrastructure including a Bulldog Stadium in need of renovation.
At least two-thirds of the tax funds must be spent on academic programs and facilities and no more than one-third on women’s and men’s athletics facilities.
Fresno County Clerk James Kus said random sample testing showed that at least 28,095 signatures gained through a petition campaign proved valid, putting the measure over 110% of signatures needed for certification.
Supervisors had two options Tuesday: either vote to put the initiative on the ballot directly, or refer it to a county agency for additional study before a vote in 30 days.
Supervisor Steve Brandau said he represents a generally “anti-tax” constituency. But he said he wanted to support “the people that did the work” gathering signatures by moving for the first option.
“Let the citizens decide,” he added.
He was seconded by Supervisor Nathan Magsig.
Tim Orman, former chief of staff for Fresno Mayors Lee Brand and Jerry Dyer, said passage of the measure would “be a tremendous boost to the entire county,” and would “take Fresno State from good to great.”
Opponents to tax measure speak out
But Kevin Hall, who attended the supervisors meeting, called it “a forever tax,” that would “primarily fund Fresno State football,” and did not address hunger and homelessness in the university’s student community.
Dez Martinez, an advocate for Fresno’s homeless population, joined Hall in calling for additional consideration.
