Board of Supervisors - Regular Meeting

Thank you.

Okay, Madam Clerk, roll call please.

Supervisor Chavez, absent. Supervisor Magzig, here. Supervisor Mendez, here. Supervisor Pacheco, here. Chairman Bredefield, here. Present, thank you.

Good morning everyone and welcome to the Monday, March 23rd, 2026 special meeting of the Fresno County Board of Supervisors. We will begin with the invocation by Supervisor Magzig and then a flag salute, the invocation After the invocation, please remain standing for the flag salute. Supervisor Magsy.

Our Heavenly Father, we thank you that we can gather here today to do your business. And I pray right now for wisdom and guidance for our decisions. And I also pray for a blessing over our crops, a blessing over the people of Fresno County. And again, give us wisdom as we make decisions. In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.

Thank You supervisor magic agendas are on on the back table for anyone wanting to follow along The first item I will read the item Under chairman Bretta filled approve an amendment to salary resolution section 900 holidays to rename March 31st Cesar Chavez birthday to March 31st Fresno County Agriculture Appreciation Day

Thank you very much. And we're here, of course, to rename our day off that has been Cesar Chavez. I had proposed it being Agricultural Appreciation Day. Supervisor Chavez had requested that we make it farm worker appreciation day. I have no problem and I want to know what the board feels calling it agriculture and farm worker appreciation day. Fresno County agriculture and farm worker appreciation day but I'm open to whatever the board would like to do. Any comments from the board? No. Are you okay incorporating Fresno County Agriculture and Farm Worker Appreciation Day?

I want to hear public comment and then we can finish. Okay.

Well, I didn't know if people wanted to comment first. Okay. Any members of the public wish to speak on this item? Hi. Hi.

Good to see you today. I really like...

suggestion better I would like to read a little bit of what I've been thinking about and I'm not good at public speaking I can tell you that right now but getting things named took so much hard work and time and effort yet to destroy them and to elevate those who have been trampled upon us they do it overnight I know that each and every one of you understands the nature of the struggle because the vast majority of you have stood with us in our fights, in our lucha. So many hours spent fighting to improve countless things for the people through phone calls, knocking on doors, informing the public and the workers and so on. The work that is being erased is our work. Getting things, I know, sorry, lost my place. It's not, I'm not here to defend him, but it's not just him. It's not just Cesar Chavez. It took hundreds of thousands of people to fight for worker rights and we're still fighting them. As we saw the other day, we had a court hearing that has to do with the visas, the people who come on visas, their wages are being lowered. I believe it's like 23 billion dollars that it will be lowered. But for the average, the person who's trying to come legally, it's not working. And so, but the work has not been just his. Remember these things were named After him, not by him, he was gone. He had passed. So whose work are you destroying? And I appreciate the way you are thinking of naming the day. Because it brings us both together. Because when I grew up, it was about the ranchers versus the workers. And it shouldn't be that way because the workers work for the ranchers. And who should care about their workers more than the ranchers? And I understand that some of you are in that kind of industry. But we have to see that the work wasn't just his. It was for the people. He woke us up. He woke up the people to see about the rights. And I appreciate you thinking of the second suggestion on the naming of the day, because it includes both of us. And that's what the lucha was about.

OK. Thank you, ma'am. Thank you. Anyone else from the public? Hello sir.

Hola, buenos dias a todos y a todas. Mi participación la haré en español. Lo siento, sé que ustedes no hablan tal vez el español. En 1983, participé con la primera radio campesina que fundó Cesar Chavez en Bootleg. Yeah, you certainly can.

In 1983, he was a volunteer for the Radio Campesina.

And he learned the skills to work in the radio.

What has occurred with Cesar Chavez is a tragedy for our community, our Hispanic community.

Hemos llorado.

We have cried.

Estamos destrozados.

We're destroyed.

Pero son solamente alegaciones.

But there's no proof.

Sin embargo, la ciudad de Fresno.

The city of Fresno.

That being that it did I look at the letter of the sensor Chavez Boulevard are also going to.

The key to remain the street says that's how it is for the right.

I want and you look at that reunión de hoy, if we're the emergency I can which I can't they know lots of via you know saga Roper's oppressor.

He understands that this meeting today. That took us by surprise.

It's the escuch and okay, so trabajo. He is hearing that your work, that you're renaming the day of Cesar Chavez for the agricultural day. One thing is a peasant and another is a rancher. Los rancheros que muchas de las veces no necesariamente tratan bien al trabajador, pero que se han enriquecido de él.

The ranchers who have not treated the worker right and also have enriched themselves.

Por lo tanto, si lo van a cambiar, ¿por qué no cambiarlo a el día de los trabajadores campesinos?

Why not change it to the day of the campesinos, the day of the farm workers?

Muchas gracias.

Thank you.

Thank you.

And I apologize, my- No, that's okay. Thank you.

Thank you for doing that. Is there anyone else who wishes to speak to this item?

Buenos dias a todos, good morning everyone. Es un tiempo muy doloroso y con muchos sentimientos. It's a time that's very painful and with a lot of feelings. Yo he trabajado en el campo. I have worked in the fields. Es trabajo difícil. It's very hard work. Y para mí, for me, estoy de acuerdo lo que dicen ustedes de agricultura y campesino. I'm okay with what you're saying about agriculture and farm worker. siempre debemos de estar unidos. We should always be united. Pero me gustaría que fuera primero campesino y después agricultura. I'd like to be first farm worker, then agriculture. And I hope that it works out that way. Pase lo que esté pasando en este pueblo, tenemos que trabajar juntos. Hay cosas que nos gustan y cosas que no nos gustan. Whatever's happening here in this town, there's going to be things that we like and we don't like. What we need to do is work harder to unite each other and unite together, not be like this crazy president that we have of the United States. Gracias. Thank you.

Thank you. Anyone else wish to speak to this item? Seeing none, I'll bring it back to the board. Any comments? Supervisor Magid?

So I have the utmost respect for our two farmers who are on this board, and I will say that everything I know about them, they love the people that they get to work with on their respective farms, and I've been able to tour both of their farms, and so I'm looking to them for guidance on this. I'm okay if we were to rename it and do as the last gentleman said, say, call it Fresno County Farm Worker and Agriculture Appreciation Day. I think that's very appropriate. We need to recognize the significant contributions of both the workers as well as the farmers, and farmers work their own farms too. They're some of the hardest working people out there, but both need each other, and here in Fresno County, I think we need to elevate both equally, so if my colleagues are okay with that, I'm willing to make that in the form of a motion, but I'm also willing to yield to either one of you to make that motion, just recognizing that lane of agriculture is clearly what the both of you do, so let me know what you'd like.

I'm fine with that. I've always, you know, agreed with that. You know, especially in California, if you don't, because we're not, you know, like they are in the Midwest, where a lot of times they're owner-operator ranches. And like Manuel Cunha has always said, you got to have both. You got to have farmers and farm workers or you're not going to get it done. So if you make that a motion, I'll second it.

I'll make that a motion. that Fresno will rename the day to Fresno County Farm Worker and Agriculture Appreciation Day.

Is that fine with you? Yeah, I appreciate the words spoken by Supervisor Magsig. Without a doubt, we cannot have the farms that we do without our people that help us. And they provide a very necessity part of our operation. And without them, we simply cannot do what we do. And I think things have changed now. And as the speaker said, maybe 30 years ago things were more adversarial, the farmers versus the farm workers, and that has completely changed now. Today you see a partnership together, and I think the farmers do a better job of taking care of the people, and we definitely appreciate those that help us do the work that's so vital. And again, it's very, very hard work, as the speaker said. And again, we're here today because of the issue that has come to light and changing the name. And again, I would like to convey my heartfelt sadness for those victims. The speaker, one of the speakers said he needs proof, but I think the victims coming forward is proof enough. And while we may not always agree with him, I think our colleague across the street, Councilman Arias, said it best, is that it's our duty to listen and then to take action. And so I can appreciate you, Chairman, willing to take action. Um, and I believe it'd be appropriate to change that. I believe we should do both. However, I would just ask county council before we take this action. It's my understanding that this is a state holiday and we are under the state constitution as Supervisor Maxig always says, as we follow the rules were a nation of laws and rules. Is it appropriate or is it even legal that we're changing the name of a state holiday? Because to me, what's the difference of this or changing the name of Thanksgiving, the Fourth of July, or if a body wants to come in and change the name, how do you unilaterally do that if we're under the state charter? Doesn't the state have to take the action first and then we adopt it next? How are we getting in front of the state on this?

Well, I'm not aware of any state prohibition on changing a local name of a holiday. This is the local name.

But it's a state name. It's on the calendar as a state name. It's not a local name. We adapted, adopted the state name. We did not create this on our own. We did not unilaterally make this a holiday. The state did. And as a division of the state, then we adopted that. So how can we go backwards is my question.

Like I said, I'm not aware of a prohibition on naming it locally. If there were a concern, I mean, we will continue to look at that. You could insert language to say locally known as, then the name, if you wanted to be extra careful.

You understand my point?

Yeah. And you're on point. I believe the state is looking to change it as well.

And again, I think you're putting the cart before the horse. And again, I understand the sensitivity and you want to do it. And I have no issue with that. And we need to take appropriate steps. And again, in honor of those victims.

I think we're safe in doing this. But I appreciate, as always, your attention to detail. Yeah. And you're appropriate in doing that. But I think we're obviously safe in moving forward with this. The state is, I think, is already initiated or?

Because my only concern, what if the state chooses a different name? And then how do we address that?

Mm-hmm. What do you think? I think it's just the day. Right. Okay, that's already been a negotiated holiday. To all state workers, all counties had to do the same thing.

Because I believe, technically, it's not recognized as a federal holiday. Correct. Because I think the mail's still going, the banks are open, and all that. It's only a state holiday. So I'm just, how do you avoid the confusion like we had when the city wanted to change the name and we chose not to? and had nothing to do with the individual. Again, I will reiterate today, I believe the majority of this board did not want to put one culture over another and in changing the name, the residents of Southwest Fresno, their culture was being put down in place of this and they didn't want to erase their history. So again, had nothing with the individual. And again, it's ironic because in less than two years, all those businesses that had to spend all that money to change everything and all that, within a heartbeat, now they're going to change it all back. change it all back. Which for us, we held, so we're good. So I'd be wondering, is the city gonna pay for all that again, or how do you help these businesses that didn't want it in the first place? And I always said it should have been named in front of City Hall, so they could change their letterhead easy, and now they can change it all back, And instead, they're forcing all this upon all those poor businesses that are struggling already. But that's a side note, Mr. Chairman. All I'm trying to do is avoid confusion for the future.

And Brian, I think you're on point for this, how this was agendized. And with my motion, really what we're changing is the salary resolution. And so how the county recognizes this holiday. we will recognize it, at least if the motion passes as Fresno County Farm Worker and Agricultural Appreciation Day, because if we don't take this motion, come the 31st and that holiday shows up, it's still in our salary resolution as Cesar Chavez Day, which we're recognizing now because of the victims that are coming forward there's a lot of people who are experiencing pain. And so anything that we can do to stop re-victimizing the victims out there, I see this as being, we're not changing the name of the entire state. We're changing our salary resolution. And what we're going to call this holiday is no longer Cesar Chavez holiday. It's going to be this new name. So call it just semantics, but at the very least, as our employees recognize this holiday, we're going to rename it in accordance with whatever we pass up here today in our salary resolution.

I think that's a very, very good logical explanation for that. And Mr. Chairman, obviously I can support that as long as we take our colleague who isn't able to join us today, his suggestion, and we put the two entities together because it is a partnership in order for us to do what we do. Supervisor Mendez and I.

Yeah. And I would like to add, you know, as you mentioned, the city, I wasn't going to do it, but since you mentioned it, it was a 6-1 vote. And I voted no. And I voted no because all of those people, the businesses, the residents, church leaders came and said, don't erase our history.

Yeah.

We don't want to do this. And unfortunately, the city council had a political agenda. So they moved forward anyway. And yes, now they're costing people more money to have to revert back to what they did. So it was wrong then, number one. Number two. I also feel for the many victims of Mr. Chavez. And I'm troubled by people who knew about this, didn't say anything in order to, as was said, protect the agenda, the movement. And as a result of that, there were innocent children and girls that were further victimized. And I hope there's lessons in that, that when this kind of thing, when people are aware of this, that it needs to be reported. It needs to be exposed so there aren't more victims. And a lot of people got hurt. And my heart breaks for those young girls who were victimized by this man. And lastly, I share the same sentiment. Agriculture, farm workers, farmers, it's all one. It's only successful when everybody is working together. And I respect the work and the hard work of farm workers and the hard work of farmers. And that's why I like the way we've titled this. Fresno County Farm Workers and Agriculture Appreciation Day. It's unified. One without the other just does not work. So with that, there's a motion and a second. All those in favor, say aye. Aye. Any opposed? There are none opposed. It passes unanimously. Is there a motion and a second to adjourn?

So moved.

Second. Second. All those in favor, say aye.

Aye.

We are adjourned.

Thank you.