The Fresno City Council will return to an election-based system for its council leadership positions in 2026.
The council will continue with the rotation system in 2025, with Council Vice President Mike Karbassi in line to become council president in January.
The big picture: The city council unanimously approved the change on Thursday, doing away with the rotation system by January 2026.
- Along with the change, the resolution passed by the council also will allow councilmembers to serve consecutive terms as council president.
- The resolution also clarified how seniority will work among the council. If multiple councilmembers are sworn into office on the same day, seniority will be determined by the time of day a councilmember completes the oath of office and is sworn in by the city clerk.
Driving the news: The city council has changed how it chooses its leadership a number of times over the years, which most recently affected Councilmember Garry Bredefeld.
- Bredefeld was in line to be the council president in 2021, but his colleagues changed the rules in 2020 to give themselves an option to vote on moving away from the rotation.
What we’re watching: Councilmember Miguel Arias is in line to serve as the Council Vice President alongside Karbassi in 2025.
Zoom in: Thursday’s resolution was amended before it was passed by the council. It initially would have given the council president the power to choose the vice president, instead of the council deciding as a whole.
