FRESNO, Calif. – San Joaquin Valley voters were split in the 2026 midterm election on the concept of taxing out-of-town guests for hotel stays and other short-term lodgings.
The largest transient occupancy tax on the Nov. 3 ballot – Measure A in Fresno County – is headed for defeat. As of Thursday’s latest results, more than 56% of the county electorate voted “no” on levying a 12% tax in unincorporated areas for hotel rooms and short-term rentals like Airbnbs and RV parks.
Fresno County is one of three California counties that do not charge a transient occupancy tax, according to county staff.
Meanwhile, voters in Farmersville approved Measure P with a 53.8% “yes” vote – even though the small Tulare County city doesn’t have any hotels and only one listed property on Airbnb.
City officials hope a medium-sized hotel gets built along Highway 198 and said they wanted the tax in place before it does.
Two proposals that called for increasing existing TOTs were also split.
In Madera County, a measure to raise the TOT from 9% to 11% in unincorporated areas such as Oakhurst and Bass Lake has a 51.4% approval thus far. The county projects the increase will generate an extra $1.78 million in revenues next year for public safety, disaster response and other services.
But in the Kings County city of Lemoore, voters rejected a similar TOT increase with 52.8% of the electorate saying “no.”
Measure A in Fresno County would not have applied to the cities of Fresno and Clovis, which already levy a 12% TOT on short-term lodgings, or other cities.
County officials were hoping the tax would pass as a way to help offset between $70 million and $300 million in projected revenue losses resulting from President Donald Trump’s “One Big Beautiful Bill.”
