Fresno City Council Budget Hearings, June 10, 2026: Transit, Utilities, Police, and Fire

The Fresno City Council held day three of the Fiscal Year 2026-27 budget hearings on Wednesday, June 10, 2026, from 9:00 A.M. to 7:38 P.M. in Council Chambers. The Council approved the agenda 4-0 (Esparza, Maxwell, Arias, and Vang voting yes; Perea, Karbassi, and Richardson initially absent) and heard presentations in reverse of the posted order on Fresno Area Express (FAX), Public Utilities, Police, and Fire. The hearings resume Thursday, June 11, 2026, at 9:00 A.M.; budget motions are scheduled for June 16 and final budget adoption for June 23, 2026.

Public Comments & Testimony

• Many public speakers urged Council to reject a second HART team, let expiring organized-retail-theft grant police positions lapse, and redirect police funding to housing, mental health, youth services, and eviction protection. Speakers included Luke Pretz, Ruben Espinoza, Ariana, Christina Helm-McIntyre, Alfred Aldrete, Taylor, Zahra Moran, Alicia, Matthew Gillian, Jasmine Hernandez/Augie, Sean Zwefler, Mel, Brianna Zweifler Katz, and Jacquelyn Pearson.
• Luke Pretz, an economist, said the city has not publicly defined attrition savings and estimated the full cost of 3.75 proposed HART officer positions at about $629,000 in average personnel costs, approaching $900,000 with equipment. He also said absorbing 27 ORT grant positions after grant expiration would continue a driver of the budget gap.
• Ruben Espinoza, a District 5 resident, opposed absorbing the 27 ORT positions into the general fund, saying it would cost $2.3 million this year and $4.7 million every year thereafter; he also cited a recent Brown Act ruling and the city's $35 million budget deficit.
• Ariana, a social worker with Fresnans for People's Budget, said community math put the ORT positions at $2.3 million this fiscal year and about $4.6 million in future years, plus nearly $1 million for a second HART team, and urged redirecting that $3.5 million to community priorities.
• Multiple speakers described HART confiscations and destruction of unhoused residents' belongings, and opposed the second HART team. Others supported Advance Peace; one cited UC Berkeley/UC Merced studies showing a 53.2% first-year reduction in gun homicides and shootings and $57-$158 million in avoided gun violence costs.
• Zahra Moran of Power California Action urged a 3% rent cap across Fresno and increased eviction protection funding, saying canvassers spoke with over 3,400 constituents who are struggling with rent and basic costs.
• Sean Zwefler asked FAX to add tap-to-pay, saying Fresno is the largest California transit system without it; he also opposed a second HART team. Several speakers questioned the $1.6 million Flock camera contract, police vehicle spending, and the effectiveness of increased police funding.

Fresno Area Express (FAX)

• Director Gregory Barfield presented a $244 million FAX operating budget, up from $232 million, plus $140 million in capital programming. Staffing rises to about 550, with no new positions proposed.
• Ridership is on track to reach 10.2 million riders in FY26. Route 29 carried 74,402 riders from August 2025 through May 2026; State Center Community College ridership totaled 303,475 through April; Fresno Unified ridership was 4,066 through May; Central Unified was 12,610 through April.
• Councilmembers pressed on high absenteeism. Barfield said about 48.9% of drivers failed to show on Memorial Day, that FAX likely has the city's highest absenteeism/discipline rate, that routes are canceled daily, and that the MOU allows ten absences before termination and fines in lieu of discipline. Councilmembers expressed frustration that FAX drivers are the highest-compensated in the region yet routes are frequently canceled.
• Barfield said tap-to-pay/mobile payment is being studied with a consultant and would cost about $3 million, with rollout expected around mid-2027.
• If Measure C does not pass, Barfield said FAX would first reduce night service in January, then weekend service by June, likely requiring position cuts. If it passes, planned expansions include Bullard, Chestnut, and Willow routes and more frequent Shaw service.

Department of Public Utilities (DPU)

• Director Paul Amico presented a total appropriation of just over $490 million for FY27: about $14 million for administration, $61.6 million for solid waste, $208.6 million for water, and $206 million for wastewater, with a $222 million capital program and no new positions (683 budgeted positions).
• The proposed budget contains no water or wastewater rate increases. Staff said sewer rates were last adjusted in 2007 and water rates last approved in 2014, and that the city plans to bring rate proposals forward later, with Prop 218 processes and about $600,000 budgeted for mailings.
• DPU will add a sixth litter-abatement/pressure-washing quad crew for Tower District and downtown; power washing is planned from 3 to 5 a.m. Beautify Fresno reported 133 volunteer events, 110,000 pounds of trash collected, and a record Great American Cleanup with 1,820 volunteers collecting over 19,000 pounds.
• Councilmembers questioned water/wastewater reserves; Councilmember Arias said the combined reserves appear near $120 million, and DPU staff said water funds would erode reserves and risk SRF loan covenant defaults within a couple of fiscal years if rates are not addressed.
• Other discussion included the suspended water-fine enforcement, possible volumetric water-waste fines, utility affordability credit outreach, Operation Cleanup, bulky-item pickup, Lawn to Garden conversion, purple pipe expansion, and infrastructure risk modeling. Utility billing reported about 44,000 customers signed up for e-billing since a February campaign.

Police Department

• Chief Mindy Casto presented a proposed $307,923,700 police budget: $263,747,600 general fund, $44,176,100 non-general fund, and a $7,508,400 increase over the FY26 amended budget. Personnel totals $231,229,500; non-personnel $42,977,400; interdepartmental charges $33,716,800. The budget assumes 6.18% attrition (approximately $12.2 million in general fund savings).
• Sworn authorized positions would grow from 930 to 935 with a second HART team of four officers and a sergeant; 852 sworn are currently filled, with 79 cadets in the pipeline and 73 officer/recruit vacancies. The second HART team's FY27 operational cost is $290,100.
• The ORT grant was extended through FY27 and funds 25 sworn/civilian positions, partnerships with Clovis PD, probation, and the DA's office, plus Flock camera costs. The department reported 377,451 911 calls, 360,242 non-emergency calls, an average 911 answer time of 7.16 seconds, 85% answered within 15 seconds, 22 murders (a 51-year low), 105% murder clearance, property crime down 24%, 1,502 crime guns recovered, and 2,000 community engagement events.
• Discussion covered Tower District violence and resource drain, HART complaints/service acceptance below 3%, e-bike enforcement, street racing, park rangers, tobacco grant enforcement, red light cameras, school zone speed enforcement, gang violence, officer wellness, and worker's compensation. Councilmember Arias requested a Tower District policing plan and a gun buyback memo; Councilmember Karbassi requested a street racing suppression operation plan around Veterans Blvd.

Fire Department

• Chief Billy Alcorn presented a total Fire Department budget of $135 million, with about $93 million for personnel, $107 million general fund and $28 million non-general fund, a roughly $3 million personnel increase, and 428 total positions (375 sworn, 53 civilian). The 0.81% attrition rate is applied only to headquarters.
• The department is absorbing the last 24 SAFER grant-funded firefighters into the general fund. It has 37 vacancies, with 19 recruits in a drill school that started June 8 and 21 more scheduled to start August 10, filling 40 vacancies.
• Capital updates include the regional fire training center moving toward construction at the end of 2026 with a December 2028 completion estimate, and Station 12 near completion around September 2026. A backup ARFF rig was purchased from Sacramento.
• Council discussion focused on ARFF staffing at the airport (currently two-person staffing, with a desire for a third), specialty teams, dive team certification shortages and a related grievance, illegal fireworks enforcement with drones (Chief said about 22 citations were issued), recruitment timelines, and planned retirements.

Key Outcomes

• No final budget appropriation votes were taken on June 10; the following motions were made for consideration as part of the FY27 budget process:
  • Karbassi/Maxwell: Increase the Police and Fire Chaplaincy contribution from $75,000 to $150,000, with annual inflation adjustments.
  • Arias/Perea: Authorize a 2-year Advance Peace agreement using $700,000 of unspent DAWN initiative resources plus $300,000 already in the proposed budget.
  • Karbassi/Esparza: Allocate $2,500 from District 2 operating funds for a Public Safety memorial fund for etching costs; Districts 5 and 6 each agreed to match.
  • Karbassi/Esparza: Allocate $17,500 to Sierra Skypark Community Association for a permanent aviation monument at Spatz and Blythe.
  • Karbassi/Esparza: Allocate $5,000 from District 2 operating funds to American Legion Fresno Charlie Waters Post 4 for flags and ceremonial items.
  • Karbassi/Esparza: Allocate $60,000 to Khalsa Community Center to support its state matching-fund program to purchase a building; source to be determined.
  • Karbassi/Esparza: Allocate $75,000 toward restoration of the Wilson Theater; funding source to be determined.
  • Richardson/Karbassi: Move $6,562.50 each from Districts 2 and 6 back to the general fund for attrition.
  • Councilmember Perea moved to set aside a cumulative $1 million for spay/neuter, including a $500,000 community match from Dogwood Animal Rescue; she described it as clarifying a motion made June 9.
• Councilmembers also made extensive requests for information, including FAX night/weekend ridership, Route 29 student rider counts, zero-fare costs for city employees/interns and pregnant mothers, election-day fare options, a Hop line to hospitals/clinics, utility affordability credit data, water/sewer infrastructure condition, sidewalk revitalization cost estimates, red light camera costs, school zone speed citation data, the 12 worst accident intersections, street racing suppression, school resource officer contracts, gun buyback feasibility, tobacco grant enforcement by Council District, and Tower District presence costs.
• The Council recessed at 7:38 P.M. and will resume June 11, 2026, at 9:00 A.M. Budget motions are scheduled for June 16, and final budget adoption is scheduled for June 23, 2026.