With Measure C set to expire in 2027, Fresno County’s long-running half-cent transportation sales tax is heading toward what could be its most contentious renewal effort yet. Last week, a group of transportation consultants unveiled the “Fix Our Roads” ballot measure. The measure will compete with a separate grassroots effort that Streetsblog covered in early February known as the Moving Forward Together proposal. This measure was created by community groups and westside Fresno leaders seeking to place their own Measure C successor before voters in November. An explanation of the ballot measures timeline can be found at the end of this article.

Both efforts aim to preserve the half-cent tax that has funded streets, highways and transit across the county for decades. But they differ sharply in priorities, structure and philosophy.

What the Plans Would Fund

The newly unveiled Fix Our Roads proposal would extend the tax for 20 years, generating an estimated $3.9 billion. Roughly half the revenue would go directly to local street and road maintenance. About 16% would fund major streets and highways, another 16% would be allocated flexibly at the discretion of local jurisdictions, and approximately 18% would go to public transit. The measure also calls for studying potential consolidation of the county’s transit agencies.

Fix Our Roads supporters contend that 18% is “about the same” as what the transit agencies get from the current sales tax, and paint transit agencies as wasteful in their spending. Currently, transit agencies receive 24% of the funds from Measure C, so Fix Our Roads would be a 25% cut in funding. In its coverage of Fix Our Roads, Fresnoland also notes that the supporters of “Fix Our Roads” haven’t actually spoken to anyone at any of the transit agencies about their consolidation proposal.

The Moving Forward Together coalition’s plan would run for 30 years (10 years longer than Fix Our Roads) and is projected to raise roughly $7.4 billion. Its spending formula tilts more heavily toward local road repair, with 65% directed to fixing and improving neighborhood streets. Public transit would receive 25%, a larger share than in the consultant-backed plan. Smaller percentages would go to regional connectivity projects, transportation innovation and access programs, and administrative oversight.

In short, both measures promise billions for road repair. The clearest difference lies in how much weight they give to public transit and emerging transportation priorities.

Expert-Driven vs. Survey-Informed

Just as important as what the measures fund is how they were created.

Fix Our Roads emerged from a relatively tight circle of transportation professionals, consultants and individuals with experience crafting previous Measure C expenditure plans. Supporters argue that this approach ensures technical precision, credible revenue projections and alignment with state and federal funding opportunities. They say decades of infrastructure planning experience provide a realistic blueprint for delivering projects and maintaining voter trust.

The competing proposal followed a different path. Organizers say they conducted thousands of surveys and extensive outreach events across Fresno County before drafting their expenditure plan. Rather than beginning with modeling or consultant projections, they began with community feedback — asking residents what they wanted improved, what they felt was underfunded, and how transportation dollars should be distributed. Supporters frame the measure as bottom-up policymaking, built on direct public input rather than expert consensus.

That distinction — professional planning versus large-scale community input — has become central to the debate. It raises broader questions about legitimacy: Should a transportation tax be shaped primarily by technical experts who understand funding formulas and long-term infrastructure needs? Or by residents responding to daily frustrations with potholes, bus service and safety?

The Moving Forward Together Coalition is supported by Fresno Mayor Jerry Dyer, former Fresno Mayor Ashley Swearengin, and Clovis Councilmember Lynne Ashbeck. All are Republicans.

Fix Our Roads is backed by former Assembly Member Henry Perea, a Democrat, and Clovis Mayor Pro Tem Diane Pearce and Reedley Mayor Matthew Tuttle, both Republicans.

Timeline and What It Takes to Pass

Because both efforts are citizen initiatives rather than government-sponsored ballot measures, they face the same qualification requirements.

Organizers must gather roughly 22,000 valid signatures from registered Fresno County voters to qualify for the November 3, 2026 ballot. In practice, campaigns are likely aiming for 30,000 to 35,000 signatures to account for invalid or duplicate entries. Signature collection must be completed and verified well in advance of the election, meaning the bulk of that work will need to happen in the coming months.

If qualified, each measure would require only a simple majority — 50% plus one vote — to pass. That is a lower threshold than the two-thirds supermajority required for government-placed special taxes, which is why both campaigns are pursuing the citizen initiative route.

Voters will ultimately decide in November 2026 whether to extend Fresno County’s half-cent transportation tax — and if so, which vision for its future they prefer. With billions in road maintenance, transit service and long-term mobility investments at stake, the outcome will shape how the region moves for decades to come.