Fresno County Superior Court Confirms: Measure S Will Go Before Voters This November
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
August 31, 2026
Contact: Cary Catalano, (559) 355-0751
FRESNO, CA — Vote Yes on Measure S today celebrated a Fresno County Superior Court ruling confirming Measure S — the Better Roads, Safe Streets citizen-led initiative — will appear on the November 3, 2026 ballot, as the voters of Fresno County intended and the Legislature affirmed when it passed AB 1923 to protect the measure from procedural delay.
In a decision issued today, Judge Jonathan Skiles rejected a legal challenge brought by the County of Fresno and individual petitioners (whose legal fees were subsidized by Fresno County taxpayers), upholding AB 1923 as constitutional and denying every request to keep Measure S off the November ballot. The ruling clears the last obstacle standing between Fresno County voters and their opportunity to decide the future of local transportation funding this fall.
“This is a victory for the tens of thousands of Fresno County voters who signed the petition to put this measure on the ballot, and for every voter who deserves the chance to decide whether they want to continue to fund critical investments in public safety by repairing badly damaged roads, fixing dangerous intersections, and upgrading traffic signals” the campaign stated. “The court saw what was plain all along: Measure S qualified fair and square, and it should be voters – not politicians – who have the final say on how their tax dollars are spent. Today’s ruling ensures that Fresno County voters get to decide for themselves whether to extend local funding for transportation projects.”
Measure S will succeed the County’s existing Measure C dedicated transportation funding, which expires in June 2027, sustaining critical funding for neighborhood road repairs, critical safety improvements, and transportation improvements local residents say they want most across Fresno County and its cities for the next thirty years, without raising taxes. The initiative petition gathered more than 32,000 signatures, well above the 21,900 required to qualify.
“The Board’s decision had the result of preventing the citizens of Fresno County from exercising their democratic right to vote on an issue of significant financial consequence to the County.”
-Superior Court of California
The court’s order found that the Board of Supervisors’ decision to order a fiscal impact report had the effect of delaying the measure and risked keeping it off the ballot altogether — jeopardizing well over $100 million a year in transportation funding for Fresno County and its 15 cities. The Legislature responded by passing AB 1923, an urgency statute directing that the qualified initiative be placed before voters at the November 2026 election without alteration. The court held that law valid and enforceable in all respects.
“Fresno County’s roads and safety can’t wait,” the campaign added. “We’re grateful the court affirmed what voters deserve: a direct vote on Measure S this November. Now the real work begins — earning every vote between now and Election Day.”
“Vote Yes on Measure S will continue to engage voters, community organizations, and local leaders throughout the county in the weeks ahead to build support for the only measure on the ballot that guarantees that investments go to the transportation projects residents say matter most, without raising taxes. From potholes and worn-out streets, to dangerous intersections that need repairs. We’ve had enough of politicians saying one thing and doing another. Measure S was created by our communities, for our communities and the money can only be used how our communities say it should. Vote YES on Measure S on November 3rd.”
About Measure S
Measure S is the only citizen-led effort to extend local funding for road repairs, without raising taxes. It ensures every city and town has the resources they need to fix potholes, improve street safety, speed up emergency response times, enhance public transit, and keep kids safe on their way to school — continuing the same half-cent rate Fresno County has paid for 40 years! Backed by required citizen oversight and annual fiscal audits.