Swearengin-Backed Citizen-Led Coalition Files for $7.4B Fresno Sales Tax

Moving Forward Together, a citizen-led coalition supported by former Fresno mayor Ashley Swearengin, filed paperwork in mid-January to gather signatures for a half-cent sales tax intended to replace Measure C on the November 2026 ballot. The proposed 30-year measure is projected to raise about $7.4 billion, with proponents saying roughly 65 percent would go to local street repairs and other city projects while the remaining 35 percent would fund transit, congestion relief projects and new transportation technologies.

The filing sets in motion a signature drive that supporters estimate will need about 35,000 valid signatures to qualify for the ballot. Because Moving Forward Together is advancing the measure as a citizen initiative rather than a government-sponsored ordinance, the proposal would require a simple majority of voters for approval instead of the two-thirds threshold required for some government-placed tax measures.

Ashley Swearengin’s nonprofit organization is providing financial support for the signature gathering and the campaign, according to the coalition. The proposal deliberately emphasizes local road maintenance and transit investment rather than expanding freeways, a strategic shift likely intended to appeal to neighborhood-level concerns about potholes, sidewalks and local bus service.

If voters approve the measure, roughly $4.81 billion would be directed to local street repairs and city projects based on the 65 percent allocation. The remaining roughly $2.59 billion would be available for regional transit and technology-oriented congestion relief projects. Advocates argue that the local focus will speed repairs and improve bus and microtransit options; critics contend the plan could sideline bigger regional priorities that require coordinated county or state action.

Fresno Mayor Jerry Dyer and some city leaders have signaled support for the initiative, aligning municipal leadership with the coalition’s priorities. County Supervisor Garry Bredefeld has criticized the process and has proposed exploring a county-led tax alternative, setting up a political debate over whether Fresno city voters or a broader county electorate should set transportation funding priorities.

The campaign timeline calls for an intensive signature drive in the coming months to meet filing deadlines for the November 2026 ballot. Voters will ultimately face a clear choice between approving a citizen-led half-cent tax that backers say will deliver $7.4 billion over 30 years and any competing measures that may emerge from county officials.

For Fresno residents, the proposal foregrounds two immediate questions: whether the promise of targeted local street repairs and transit investments justifies a sales tax increase, and how competing plans from city and county officials would distribute benefits across neighborhoods and jurisdictions. The coming months will bring signature gatherers, policy debates and campaign spending that will shape the choice voters make in November 2026.