21-05-2025
Measure C transformed roads in Clovis. What happens if renewal vote fails?
For nearly four decades, Measure C has funded some of Clovis' biggest transportation projects — such as road maintenance, bicycle lanes, and Clovis Roundup Transit.
After a failed 2022 renewal, the county-wide half-cent sales tax will be back on the ballot next year for its last shot. Voters will decide whether to keep the transportation tax, which would otherwise expire in 2027.
Currently, there are dual efforts to put measures on the ballot. The Fresno Council of Governments and Measure C opposition community groups, which are both holding community meetings and gathering input for their own proposals, diverged on the transportation tax spending priorities. Interest groups are also stepping in to work out the differences between the two organizations.
Without the tax, a significant portion of the county's transportation-related projects — especially in major cities such as Fresno and Clovis that were favored by Measure C allocations — would lose tens of millions of dollars per year in road maintenance and expansion.
Here's how Measure C impacts Clovis.
Approved by county voters in 1986, Measure C supports transportation-related improvements in Fresno County. The half-cent sales tax has raised more than $2.1 billion in local funds, and brought another $8 billion in matching funds from state and federal sources.
The measure has funded local road repairs, airport upgrades, public transit, highway expansions, projects to make streets around schools safer to walk and bike to be safe and easier to walk, as well as discounted transit rates for seniors, said Kendall Flint, consultant from Fresno County's Measure C Committee.
'You can use Measure C funds to leverage, in other words, you take that money and say to the state or federal government, 'We're going to put some money up here, we're going to use that to leverage for other grants,'' Flint said. 'Without this type of money in the reserves, you're not able to access those (matching) funds.'
The tax dollars are used exclusively for transportation investment and cannot be used for parks, fire, police, or other purposes, Flint said.
Measure C costs an average household under $8 per month, according to the Measure C Committee.
Taxable goods include clothing, furniture, and toys. There are also exemptions under Measure C, such as fresh food and medicine.
About 25% of the tax revenues come from visitors outside the county, such as tourists travelling to the national parks, Flint said at a recent Clovis City Council meeting.
Large-scale projects funded by Measure C include the expansion of Willow Avenue from Nees Avenue up to Copper Avenue, widening Shaw Avenue from McCall to Leonard to DeWolf Avenue, and the planned widening of Herndon Avenue from Temperance Avenue to Locan Avenue in 2026.
From 2007 to 2024, Clovis received more than $41 million in funding directly from Measure C, according to the committee website.
Approximately 8% of the measure is allocated to Clovis annually, said Chad McCollum, Clovis' housing and communications director for economic development. Occasionally, the city also receives additional funds for major street improvements, but the grants are competitive.
'Measure C plays a key role in annual maintenance efforts,' McCollum said. 'These include resealing and slurry-sealing neighborhood streets, ensuring local roads remain in good condition, as well as the restriping of all city bike lanes to maintain safe and accessible routes for cyclists.'
In 2024, the tax dollars were used to upgrade 147 curb return ramps for ADA compliance, he said.
Voters rejected an attempt to renew Measure C in 2022. The measure needed two-thirds voter approval to pass but only gained 58% of 'yes' votes.
Critics said the renewal process lacked community engagement and transparency. Opposition campaigns, such as the No on Measure C committee, criticized the proposed spending plan in 2022 for not doing enough to prioritize public transportation, climate-friendly solutions, or rural communities.
This year, besides Measure C, there's another transportation-related sales tax measure moving into the limelight.
Transportation For All, formed by environmental justice advocates and community groups that opposed Measure C in 2022, recently held its first of 40 'community visioning sessions' throughout the summer to gather community input on priorities. The group says its process is more inclusive and democratic, and that residents' and taxpayers' voices are heard in their formulation of the expenditure plan.
Meanwhile, the county's transportation officials named a Measure C steering committee, whose 23 members are primarily industry insiders and executives from labor groups and community organizations, to draft an expenditure plan. Meetings will be livestreamed with several community meetings planned.
Clovis officials say the needs of the community and project list would take about a year to formulate. The city's Development and Community Investment budget, forecasts projects five years out and designates anticipated funding sources including Measure C.
Clovis relies heavily on Measure C to fund the city's transportation system. Without Measure C, Clovis will lose approximately $4 million every year for road maintenance and other transportation-related improvements, as well as $2 million per year for Clovis Transit, according to city officials.
'Clovis takes pride in maintaining high-quality roads and reliable transit services,' McCollum said. 'Without these crucial funds, Clovis will face significant challenges in sustaining road maintenance and public transit, impacting residents' daily lives and the city's overall infrastructure.'
