On May 14, Fresno Mayor Jerry Dyer proposed a $2.55 billion budget for fiscal 2027. The budget includes funding for 21 City departments and new investments including many in capital improvements—$1 billion to support 470 major projects, including a new 911 communications center; a fire station; and a regional fire training center—and $42 million toward the City’s first senior center.
| Buildings | $1 billion to support 470 major projects, including a new 911 communications center, a fire station, a regional fire training center. |
| City Appearance | $500,000 for increased trash removal and pressure washing in downtown and the Tower District. |
| Environment | $553,000 to plant 1,000 new trees to continue a 10-year tree trimming cycle. |
| Infrastructure | $74.8 million is dedicated to road maintenance and sidewalk repair, utilizing state funding, and Measure C funding. |
| Homelessness | Funds a second Homeless Assistance Response Team (HART) to address encampments and ordinance enforcement. |
Just a few highlights from the Mayor’s proposed budget.
The General Fund portion of the proposed budget is $541 million, of which $307.9 million, or 48.5%, is to fund the police department. The budget relies on a hiring freeze in most other departments and a 6% attrition rate to remain balanced.
Opposition to Increased Police Funding
At the mayor’s budget presentation, the main topic community members and advocates addressed was the issue of increased funding for policing including adding a second Homeless Assistance Response Team (HART). The team would comprise one sergeant and four officers.
HART members enforce the 2024 No Camping ordinance, which bans sleeping, sitting, lying or storing personal property in public spaces. Over the past 18 months, more than 2,000 homeless individuals have been arrested or cited for violations of the ordinance. Less than 130 people have been prosecuted.
The City lost the only three cases that went to trial (most of the other 130 cases were cleared by plea deals). Homelessness has only increased and the Council, mayor and City attorney are doubling down on the criminalization of the homeless.
Community members and advocates say enforcement has been ineffective at reducing homelessness and is costly to taxpayers, inhumane and cruel.
About a dozen attendees spoke to the Council after the mayor’s presentation.
“The Council keeps telling taxpayers that this enforcement strategy is working. Let’s talk about the cost,” said longtime advocate Desiree Martinez.
“When there’s an encampment sweep, there are multiple City employees involved. Multiple police officers, multiple code enforcement officers, multiple sanitation workers, multiple transport vehicles, multiple public works staff [and equipment]. When arrested, City attorneys, court administrators and other City staff are involved. And, after all that, many people are released in 30 minutes.
“Millions of tax dollars are being spent cycling human beings through enforcement systems instead of solving the housing shortage. Millions that could have gone towards prevention, mental healthcare, sanitation infrastructure, safe parking lots, housing development or even shelter expansion.”
Brandi Nuse-Villegas, a community volunteer and advocate, said the Council should remove, not increase funding for HART.
“We, as a City, should be ashamed of what we have allowed HART to do to our community members. You have a team that goes against municipal codes, the work of the Continuum of Care and goes against the slogans in the brochures of dignity and compassion that Mayor Dyer proudly prints.”
Arieana Castellanos of Fresnans for a People’s Budget said, “HART is not solving the problem. Studies show that it costs 20,000 less per person annually by using a housing first model then the jailing model we are using.
“We have evidence based practices and studies from the American Medical Association that indicate that a housing first approach helps reduce instances of severe alcohol use, drug addiction and increases mental health diagnosis and treatment. It saves up to $2,500 a month per person.”
Hope, Not HART
Research indicates that street sweeps negatively impact health through two outcomes. The first outcome is material loss, including belongings and medical items.
“Although I have lost a lot of belongings to the task force, the one thing that sticks out most is my hope. Hope that I will make it out of this traumatic lifestyle that I never chose to live,” said a street family member living in Fresno who asked to go by D.S.
“After I escaped an abusive relationship and I found safety and family at the park, it was short lived upon the introduction of HART. Being harassed, harried and hounded has become my new reality.
“I feel I have survived one hellish scene only to be exposed to a new reality, a new life, a new type of trapped, jail becoming a new, very real life.”
The second outcome is instability, including geographic displacement, community fragmentation and the lost opportunity to follow up with health and service providers.
These outcomes could contribute to less effective management of chronic health conditions, infectious diseases and substance-use disorders. It could increase physical injuries and worsen mental health.
Providers also report that sweeps negatively impact the healthcare system by promoting increased usage of emergency departments and inpatient hospital care.
The mayor’s proposed budget increases criminalization and punitive actions that experts agree are failed, expensive policies.
Full details of the proposed budget are available online at fresno.gov/citybudget. Community members can speak at the public budget hearings from June 8‒12.
