How would Fresno Council District 1 candidates address their top issue in area?
The cost of living, a lack of basic city services and the city’s growing deficit are among the most important issues candidates running for the Fresno City Council District 1 see facing the area they seek to represent.
The Bee recently asked each of the District 1 candidates running in the June 2 primary election to answer a series of questions related to their campaign and positions on local issues, including what the most pressing issue they see facing their district is beyond homelessness and housing.
Read the candidate positions on SEDA, Fresno’s 9,000-acre, 45,000-home development proposal here, and what homelessness solutions they each favor here.
Four candidates are vying for the seat: Monte Forkas, a former campaign coordinator; Rob Fuentes, State Center Community College District trustee and federal prosecutor; Joe Hinojosa, city of Fresno’s Americans with Disabilities Act coordinator; Naindeep Singh, nonprofit leader and Central Unified board trustee.
Fresno’s District 1 covers a large portion of northwest and west-central Fresno, including Tower District, the Fresno High area, parts of Fig Garden, and areas west of Highway 99.
Three other Fresno City Council districts will be on the ballot: Districts 3, 5 and 7. To secure a seat, a candidate must receive over 50% of the vote. If no one gets a majority of the vote in the primary, the top two candidates will advance to the Nov. 3 election.
Read The Bee’s District 1 primary election voter guide here. Watch the forum here.
The Bee also hosted a series of candidate forums and recorded them. Those videos are posted at fresnobee.com.
Here’s how District 1 candidates would address top issue they see facing their district
Monte Forkas
“One of the most important issues facing our district and the entire City of Fresno is the budget and how we address the city’s growing deficit.
We need to take a hard, detailed look at where revenue is coming from and how it is being spent. Fresno cannot continue operating the same way while facing increasing financial pressure.
That means making sure we are prioritizing core services like public safety, infrastructure, and neighborhood maintenance while also identifying areas where we can improve efficiency and accountability.
Every part of city government needs to be part of the solution from the mayor’s office to the City Council to every department. Fresno has to start living within its means while still delivering the services our residents depend on.
Fiscal responsibility, transparency, and smart decision-making will be critical to putting the city on a more sustainable path.”
Rob Fuentes
As a councilmember, I will be dedicated to increasing affordability for our residents, aggressively advancing policies and programs that lower the costs of housing, utilities, transportation, and childcare. I will also work with law enforcement and community partners to build safer neighborhoods, pursuing holistic measures that enhance accountability while focusing on prevention. I will partner with business and labor communities to spur economic and community development, ensuring that we attract and retain businesses, create good-paying jobs, repair our roads and sidewalks, and expand our parks and green spaces. I will work hand in hand to develop neighborhoods where residents can live, work, play, and thrive—neighborhoods that we are proud to call home.”
Joe Hinojosa
“The first issue facing my district is the basic services the City offers. My belief is if we hit on all the little things, then it creates a greater impact. The big projects will come, and they take time but filling potholes, cleaning up our district, fixing sidewalks and removing graffiti are just a few of those things we can do better. Ensuring our parks are clean and provide a great environment for my residents to feel happy and fulfilled is key. Hitting on these everyday life issues is key to the overall plan. It stops people from fleeing. When we have neighborhoods that we have pride in it is much easier for all of us to invest in them. Hearing my neighbors and being that voice that they require is the approach I will take every day as their council member. They will still be there when I am no longer their council member and I hope they will say I served them in the manner they asked for.”
Naindeep Singh
“The most pressing issue beyond housing is simple: Fresno is becoming unaffordable for the families who built this city.
In District 1, I meet seniors on fixed incomes rationing groceries because utility bills climbed 80% in five years. I meet entrepreneurs with great ideas trapped by red tape and empty storefronts they can’t afford to fill. I meet young people who love Fresno but don’t see a future here.
That changes. We will cap city-controlled utility hikes, require independent audits before any rate increase, and expand senior utility discounts. We’ll launch “Fresno First” procurement, so taxpayer contracts stop leaving the Valley. And “Vacant to Vibrant” will turn boarded-up corridors into launchpads for 559 entrepreneurs.”
Fresno isn’t a city in decline. It’s a city that hasn’t yet been governed for the people who live here. Together, we can change that.”
This story was originally published May 18, 2026 at 4:48 PM.