Incumbent Maxwell unopposed for Fresno District 4 council seat. What are his priorities?
Fresno City Councilmember Tyler Maxwell is wrapping up his first four-year term representing Council District 4, which covers parts of central and east-central Fresno. Maxwell, who was elected in 2020 and took office in January 2021, is unopposed in his re-election bid in the March 5 primary, but the “contest” remains on the ballot for voters nonetheless.
As part of its overall coverage in advance of the primary, The Fresno Bee submitted questions to candidates in each of the City Council races on the ballot, including Maxwell in District 4, and asked each to respond with answers of in the neighborhood of 200 words if possible. Maxwell’s responses are offered here.
Tyler Maxwell
Age: 32
Occupation: Fresno City Councilmember
Education: Bachelor of arts degrees in legal studies and psychology, University of California, Berkeley
Other offices held: None
Campaign website: None listed
Q: Fresno has repeatedly been described as having a homelessness crisis. The state has provided millions of dollars for the city to convert old motels into shelters, but what kinds of solutions would you favor? Providing lots for safe camps? Large congregate shelters? Tiny homes? What locations in your district could suit some of these solutions?
A: Throughout my first term on the city council, my colleagues and I have invested into various forms of affordable housing and emergency shelters across Fresno, all of which compliment each other and play a crucial role in addressing the needs of the unhoused in our community. Converting dilapidated motels into temporary shelters, partnering with local colleges to build tiny homes, and investing heavily in affordable housing projects are just some examples of the types of investments this council has prioritized. District 4 has worked to do its part in addressing these needs: two recent examples include converting the old Clarion Pointe motel on Blackstone into emergency shelter and bridge housing operated by the Poverello House, as well as a multi-million dollar commitment from the City to build nearly one hundred units of affordable senior housing on the site of the old Continental Market on Blackstone and Ashlan. I remain committed to working with my council colleagues and the mayor to ensure the City continues to invest in these types of projects moving forward.
Q: About one out of five residents in the city of Fresno has income that falls below 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, and the median sales price of homes has climbed by about 106% over the past 10 years. How would you promote greater housing affordability? And what is your position on rent control?
A: A persistent challenge in Fresno has been the ability to create an environment that incentivizes housing developers to build more homes (single-family, multi-family, affordable and otherwise) and working to ensure Fresno residents are able to afford rent or a mortgage. A conscious and deliberate investment into affordable housing has been a top priority for this council, as has the pursuit to build more housing in general which not only creates more housing stock, but also helps to keep housing prices down. Part of the solution to housing affordability needs to also address the income of our Fresno families: by bringing more jobs to Fresno, diversifying our economy, and helping more young people obtain college credentials or career-ready education, we can effectively increase the median income in Fresno. In tandem, the pursuit to build more diverse housing stock and an effort to increase the average income would have a drastic and positive impact for Fresnans seeking affordable housing options.
Q: Beyond homelessness and housing, what do you see as the most important issue facing your district, and how would you approach dealing with it?
A silent yet concerning issue plaguing central Fresno is the prevalence of blight. Families who moved to central Fresno in the late ‘60s and early ‘70s enjoyed new infrastructure, clean parks, green neighborhoods, and modern storefronts. Today, I represent neighborhoods whose streets haven’t been paved since Lyndon Johnson was president, whose streets and median islands have long been stripped of trees, and whose storefronts haven’t been renovated since I was a kid. One of my top priorities as Councilmember for District 4 is to help restore pride back into these neighborhoods by making large investments into neighborhood infrastructure and small businesses. In just the past couple of years, my office has planted nearly 1,000 trees across District 4 parks, median islands, and neighborhoods. Additionally, we have invested millions of dollars into our local parks, repaved entire neighborhoods, and invested hundreds of thousands of dollars into a District 4 small-business facade improvement program that allows small businesses up to $70,000 to improve the exterior appearances of their businesses. These types of investments from the City go a long way in restoring the pride of these neighborhoods that have long felt neglected and forgotten.
