Fresno County Supervisor has challengers in District 2. What are their priorities?
Fresno County Supervisor Steve Brandau, who represents District 2 encompassing northeast, northwest and central Fresno, is seeking re-election to a second full four-year term on the Board of Supervisors. Brandau was initially elected to fill a partial term in a special election in 2019 and elected to a full term in 2020.
But he’s facing a field of four candidates looking to unseat him, including current Fresno City Council member Garry Bredefeld, who faces term limits, and Paul Dictos, the county’s elected assessor-recorder. Two other candidates are business owner Bryce Herrera and social worker Dion Bourdase.
The Fresno Bee submitted questions to each of the candidates and asked each to respond with answers of in the neighborhood of 200 words, if possible. Their responses are offered here, and presented in the order in which they were received.
Paul Dictos
Age: 80
Occupation: CPA / county Assessor-Recorder
Education: Associate of arts degree, Anatolia College in Thessaloniki, Greece; bachelor of science, accounting, California State University, Fresno
Other offices held: Fresno County Republican Committee
Campaign website: votedictos.com
Q: About one out of every five residents in Fresno County has income that falls below the poverty level. However, the average market-rate apartment rent rose by almost 43% in the Fresno metro area since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. How would you promote greater housing affordability?
I previously authored an article Oct. 15, 2023, (Fresno Bee Insight) which offers a plan in support of urban development. But that is not the answer to your question. I just finished building ADU (accessory dwelling unit) and found out first hand what is going on out there. Construction costs are not coming down. We got to preserve our valuable farmland. We should adopt the European way of life and learn how to live in 10- and 20- story housing units. I am excited about what Mayor (Fresno Mayor Jerry) Dyer is planning to do with the $250 million announced by the Governor to revitalize Downtown, preparing the infrastructure so that Fresno can provide affordable housing to our younger generation. We got to build up to keep the cost of housing affordable. And I don’t hear any candidate talking about the most polluted air we are breathing in Fresno and the Valley. And of course the stand-off between the City and the County on a tax-sharing agreement does not help housing construction at all and makes it worse by forcing leapfrog development. Case in point: the current housing boom at Friant. Now the county is forced to spend $50 million dollars for the road to Millerton. More pollution for the Valley.
Q: The average condition of roads in Fresno County is considered at “higher risk,” and in many cases is deemed “poor.” What steps would you take to work toward improving the county’s roads?
Fresno County has 3,400 miles of roads (some of that of course belongs to the city), 580 bridges, 10,000 augers and yes, there is $1 billion in deferred maintenance. Measure C is coming to an end and gas tax money that the county gets from the state is coming down by leaps and bounds as we get more electric cars on our roads. Gas tax money is about $40 million annually and that is dropping. We also get another $20 million from the feds. The county’s general fund stopped contributing to the maintenance of the roads. We should correct it. But first we have to make sure that Measure C is put back on the ballot again and we should support it. Measure C money we can leverage with federal money. Currently the county is spending about $100 million on road repairs. If God wills that I get elected, I will make the road maintenance a priority.
Q: How would you work toward bringing higher-paying job opportunities that are accessible to a wide array of Fresno County residents?
Jobs don’t just drop in. The county, the board and the city council must put their differences aside and prepare the ground. We need to create an Industrial park. That is how we got Amazon. We had the land for them to come in. Fresno suffers from lack of industrial land. The Fresno Economic Development Corporation reported that we lost thousands of jobs to surrounding counties because national firms that wanted to come to Fresno did not because we did not have the land. National companies bring jobs. Home and industrial construction bring jobs.
Garry Bredefeld
Age: 64
Occupation: Fresno City Council member
Education: Bachelor of arts, Rutgers University; master of arts, Yeshiva University; Ph.D., clinical psychology, California School of Professional Psychology, Fresno.
Other offices held: Fresno City Council (1997-2001, 2017-present)
Campaign website: GarryBredefeld.com
Q: About one out of every five residents in Fresno County has income that falls below the poverty level. However, the average market-rate apartment rent rose by almost 43% in the Fresno metro area since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. How would you promote greater housing affordability?
The best way to ensure greater housing affordability is to reduce government regulations and encourage the private sector to build more housing. However, California has so many regulations that make it extremely difficult for the private sector to build housing that is affordable.
In California, when the state invests in the building of “affordable housing,” in reality, it is anything but affordable for the taxpayer. Taxpayers are really subsidizing the development and most of the apartments built cost the taxpayer anywhere from $500,000 -$750,000 PER UNIT. It’s outrageous and why I don’t support such misuse of taxpayer money.
If you look at states such as Texas where regulations are minimal, taxes are low, and government is not intrusive, there is massive building of houses and apartments taking place all over the state.
In Fresno, my At-Risk Permitting Ordinance was unanimously passed by the City Council which has allowed developers to move forward with their developments without being impeded by onerous regulations and bureaucracy. It has helped locally.
Rent control is definitely not the answer and I will continue to strongly oppose it!
It’s not complicated. Get government out of the way, reduce burdensome regulations that prevent the private sector from building homes/apartments, create tax incentives to build those homes, and you will have more affordable housing.
Q: The average condition of roads in Fresno County is considered at “higher risk,” and in many cases is deemed “poor.” What steps would you take to work toward improving the county’s roads?
One of the most important concerns for residents is the lack of maintenance and decades-long neglect when it comes to their streets and neighborhood roads. They’re frustrated and rightfully so, particularly with all the taxes they pay to fix their roads.
Californians are burdened with some of the highest gas taxes and gas prices in the entire nation. We pay about 54 cents in taxes for every gallon of gas. SB1 which was passed in 2017 was another gas tax that was supposed to improve our local roads. The improvements have been minimal to barely noticeable. Yet, Sacramento politicians insist on wasting nearly $100 BILLION on a “bullet train” to nowhere instead of spending that money on repairing existing roads and infrastructure.
As Fresno has grown, we needed to build Highways 41, 168, 180 and more recently Veterans Boulevard. It was critically important and I supported those projects. But now as we look at the possibility of renewing Measure C, if the voters approve it again it must be with the focus on repairing and fixing our local streets and neighborhood roads, not continuing to build new highways. The Fresno County budget must also emphasize the need to fix roads and I will ensure that it does in all future budgets.
Q: How would you work toward bringing higher-paying job opportunities that are accessible to a wide array of Fresno County residents?
As your County Supervisor, I will always fight for policies that promote economic growth and prosperity for Fresno County. That means pushing for policies that help Fresno County employers large and small continue to grow, and reducing burdensome regulations that impede that growth.
As mentioned earlier, the Fresno City Council unanimously approved my At-Risk Permitting program where small and large businesses can move forward with their projects without being unnecessarily delayed by government bureaucracy and regulations. It has saved them tremendous amounts of time and money, which allows for greater expansion opportunities for these businesses.
We have also offered tax incentives and been successful when competing against many other large cities to bring Fortune 500 companies to Fresno such as The GAP Distribution Center, Amazon Fulfillment Center, and Ulta which has produced thousands of quality and high-paying jobs.
I believe we can make Fresno County the center of job creation in California. And we do that by having a Supervisor in District 2 working hard to reduce regulations, making sure the bureaucracy is promoting and not hindering growth, and thereby ensuring our county is the most attractive place in the state for both employees and job creators.
Dion Bourdase
Age: 38
Occupation: County social worker
Education: Bachelor’s degree in psychology, California State University, Fresno
Other offices held: None
Campaign website: Bourdase.com
Q: About one out of every five residents in Fresno County has income that falls below the poverty level. However, the average market-rate apartment rent rose by almost 43% in the Fresno metro area since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. How would you promote greater housing affordability?
In order to address our housing needs we need to look at creating a blueprint through community discussion that includes everyone, and allows for every perspective to be included in coming to a genuine solution. Let’s look into:
Building upwards: Instead of a continued cycle of urban sprawl and lack of infrastructure investment, why not more high-density housing projects which take up less space by building upwards? Combined with zoning, this could allow for future-oriented balanced neighborhoods including commercial and residential interspersed together, reducing vehicle use. And if an actual public transportation option existed it could also massively decrease traffic related pollution as well.
Zoning and leveraging new construction: Converting existing office spaces into residential and zoning specifically for multi-family projects would increase supply and alleviate some current market pressures driving housing costs dramatically upwards. With down payments as low as 5% for individuals purchasing multi-family properties, this could create an opportunity for homeownership and wealth accumulation for people who otherwise rent.
Leveraging new construction: Want to build single family luxury homes in Fresno County? You should. In exchange some percentage of that construction needs to be in some combination of rent controlled and/or low-income housing to provide for the housing needs of all members of our community.
Q: The average condition of roads in Fresno County is considered at “higher risk,” and in many cases is deemed “poor.” What steps would you take to work toward improving the county’s roads?
For far too long our roads and related infrastructure have been neglected. Instead we pass on added vehicle maintainable costs to our community and disincentivize businesses coming to Fresno.
Traffic is often a test of patience and in some cases instead of adding lanes we even take them away. We need to repair our roads in all of our city and not just some places. Public access to maintained roads should be equal.
We need to fix the 99 and 41 interchanges. We need an effective and efficient public transportation system to help alleviate congestion and bring greater opportunities to those who choose to not drive.
Options like Measure C, and leveraging state and federal matching or multiplying grants to fund roadway improvements would go a long way to alleviating this issue. Currently we let political squandering leave too much meat on the bone, Losing out on opportunities which add up to a lower quality of living for all of us.
Nobody alone has the answer. This can only be solved in the long-term by bringing the perspectives of community members together. I bet your everyday travel experiences will provide unique solutions to this problem. Let’s make our home better. Together.
Q: How would you work toward bringing higher-paying job opportunities that are accessible to a wide array of Fresno County residents?
My experiences tell me a large part of the solution to this problem starts with the Fresno County government itself. Fresno County sets a bad example. With 1,400+ current vacancies for 8,000+ positions because the majority of county workers make less than $20 an hour, this dynamic serves as an example to business in Fresno what is an appropriate wage for our community.
This nearly 20% vacancy rate works in the County’s favor as it leads to a balanced budget. It irreparably affects our community, as the foundation of the services provided by our local governments is compromised. A lack of services often leaves our most vulnerable populations at greater risks of homelessness and other chronic issues we face.
Henry Ford recognized that if you pay your workers better wages, they are more efficient and productive workers, and that issues of turnover often disappear as workers feel valued and appreciated to the point they are willing to sacrifice and give more to their employers. I want to bring higher paying jobs to our area through a combination of making doing business easier here, looking into mixed-use zoning. leveraging wages by incentivizing businesses to do so, and by making our local government itself, an example of what our workers are truly worth, here in Fresno County.
Bryce Herrera
Age: 27
Occupation: Small business owner
Education: Bachelor of science degree, business administration (entrepreneurship option), California State University, Fresno
Other offices held: None
Campaign website: herreraforfresno.com
Q: About one out of every five residents in Fresno County has income that falls below the poverty level. However, the average market-rate apartment rent rose by almost 43% in the Fresno metro area since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. How would you promote greater housing affordability?
We will address our housing, renting, and homelessness crisis in Fresno County by employing an active management and housing-first approach towards policymaking. We cannot sustain more losses to the tax base. To meet our 15-year lagging affordable housing needs, tax credits offer builders and developers incentives to add more units to meet our increasing demands.
Q: The average condition of roads in Fresno County is considered at “higher risk,” and in many cases is deemed “poor.” What steps would you take to work toward improving the county’s roads?
I will work with my office to conduct a street safety assessment to determine priorities for street safety, including creating a County of Fresno “hot shot” team to respond to pothole repair requests in my district. In our higher risk areas, we will need to invest to improve safety overall, including directing Measure C funding towards County and and City roads maintenance and repairs and implementing Vision Zero. Vision Zero is a strategy to eliminate all traffic fatalities and severe injuries, while increasing safe, healthy, equitable mobility for all.
Q: How would you work toward bringing higher-paying job opportunities that are accessible to a wide array of Fresno County residents?
We will invest tax dollars should in education, trades, and apprenticeship programs that offer living wages jobs to Fresnans. It is completely unacceptable to have 7.6% unemployment, and we can bring more jobs that provide living wages to Fresnans. We will foster partnerships in the public, private, and non-profit sectors to match job skills and training with the needs of businesses of today and tomorrow so residents will be prepared to stay local for work.
Steve Brandau
Age: 60
Occupation: County supervisor; small business owner
Education: Bachelor of arts degree, English, California State University, Fresno
Other offices held: Fresno City Council, District 2
Campaign website: None listed
Q: About one out of every five residents in Fresno County has income that falls below the poverty level. However, the average market-rate apartment rent rose by almost 43% in the Fresno metro area since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. How would you promote greater housing affordability?
A: Regarding “the Fresno metro area,” most residential housing with few exceptions falls to the City of Fresno and is not impacted by the Board of Supervisors directly. However, I would support those efforts by requesting state legislation that could remove burdensome development fees, mandates and red tape. These factors, like requiring solar on new housing, drive up the cost to the buyer and help keep housing out of the reach of the poor and much of the lower middle class. I believe that unfortunately we are at the mercy of a state government that doesn’t understand the basics.
Q: The average condition of roads in Fresno County is considered at “higher risk,” and in many cases is deemed “poor.” What steps would you take to work toward improving the county’s roads?
A: I have worked hard as a member of the Fresno County Transportation Authority to address these issues in our community. I would be a strong advocate for another round of funding for Measure C (local transportation tax that can be leveraged) as long as the focus is primarily on roads. Some flexibility should be given to each agency, the cities of Fresno County and the County itself to address specific needs as urban and rural priorities may at times be different. Some regional roadwork projects remain to be done also.
Q: How would you work toward bringing higher-paying job opportunities that are accessible to a wide array of Fresno County residents?
A: As a member of the Economic Development Corporation for eleven years I have worked hard to bring economic development to Fresno County, both in attraction and retention of businesses. On the Board of Supervisors I have already taken the lead to present a vision for a potential 3,900 acre industrial park. These resulted in unanimous support to begin a study of infrastructure needed and financing options. If this vision becomes a reality with much hard work we could put Fresno County “on the map” for drawing Fortune 500 level companies to our community, and estimates of 40,000 new jobs, many of them in tech, are not unrealistic.
