Voters could decide if it costs more to visit unincorporated Fresno County areas
Voters could decide this election whether it will become more expensive for visitors to stay in the unincorporated areas of Fresno County.
The Fresno County Board of Supervisors directed staff Tuesday to draft an ordinance to place a Transient Occupation Tax (TOT) measure before voters on the November 2026 ballot.
A TOT is a tax imposed on short-term lodging, paid by visitors staying in hotels, motels, tourist homes, and other short-term vacation rentals for periods of 30 days or less. It would not apply to county residents in primary or long-term residence.
Paul Nerland, county administrative officer, said his office has found that some county revenue sources are flat, like the sales tax revenue, amid increasing expenditures, spurring the TOT proposal.
Fresno County is one of three counties in California that does not have a TOT in place, and the other two counties don’t have any rentals in their unincorporated areas, county budget director Paige Benavides told the board.
Benavides said that rates can range from 4% to 14%, but are typically between 8% and 12%, and support a wide range of general county services.
The annual estimated TOT revenue ranges from $3.04 million at 8% to $5.31 million at 14%.
Supervisor Garry Bredefeld expressed concerns related to a competing measure on the ballot, a renewal of the Measure C transportation tax, that he has publicly criticized.
“I’d like to see this pass, see we bring it forward, and my only concern is that we know there’s a group trying to put a very flawed measure, related to Measure C, on the ballot,” Bredefeld said.
A 12% TOT tax is already in place in the City of Fresno and Clovis.
President of Visit Fresno County, Lisa Oliveira, spoke in support of implementing a TOT to support the county.
The board voted unanimously, directing staff to complete preliminary legal, fiscal and comparative analysis.
“We need to explore this and do it sooner rather than later,” Supervisor Nathan Magsig said. “Because as the only county in the state that doesn’t currently collect, and with our rising costs, it means that we are going to have to dip into other discretionary sources.”
Next steps include drafting an ordinance for public hearing in April, and in June, the ordinance and measure will go before the board for approval.
This story was originally published February 11, 2026 at 5:00 AM.