Fresno City Council

In the months leading up to and during the November 2024 election, former Councilmember Luis Chavez paid more than $130K to a consultant for Facebook ads and constituent outreach.

Under a city policy, a former councilmember paid a consultant more than $300,000 in taxpayer funds for constituent outreach, Facebook ads and more.

A top Fresno Unified official said Mayor Dyer’s plan to open up land for nearly 45,000-homes would drain middle-class families to Clovis Unified, costing $200 million annually and forcing mass layoffs.

Two weeks after giving preliminary approval to a law that would outlaw kratom sales, the Fresno City Council pivoted, giving a final green light to a modified law that restricts, rather than bans, the sale of kratom products to adults.

Behind closed doors, Fresno’s mayor strategized with builders to overcome citizen opposition and coach councilmembers into approving a 9,000-acre development that lacks any plan to pay for its infrastructure.

The community advocates argue the plan to annex 9,000 acres near Southeast Fresno would drain the city’s resources too thin without providing a benefit to communities already within the city.

Mayor Jerry Dyer and City Council President Mike Karbassi said their thoughts and prayers are with Kirk’s family.

The bond will also fund the construction of both Fresno Fire Station 12 in northwest Fresno and the new 911 emergency call center downtown. The new police headquarters will be leased for 21 years.

A trove of emails were released in an active lawsuit against the City of Fresno, which show behind the scenes conversations about the city’s budget process.

Fresno’s elections, and their outcomes, could be manipulated by groups that face minimal fines for breaking the law, according to experts.