City Council

District 4

Council President Tyler Maxwell

Council President, District 4

Council President, District 4

It is an honor to serve as your Councilmember for District 4 covering East and Central Fresno. I was born and raised in District 4 and am part of the four generations before me who have also called our district home. As a public servant, I pledge to be your voice in policy-making decisions and work to uplift all of our community.

From increasing the quality of life to ensuring potholes are filled and graffiti is removed, I am committed to building stronger, safer, and more vibrant neighborhoods. I pride myself on being accessible and I am dedicated to addressing your concerns. Our team looks forward to serving you for the years to come.

Sincerely,
Tyler Maxwell
Council President, District 4

District Map
Biography

Tyler Maxwell was born and raised in District 4 representing East and Central Fresno. He is part of four generations who have called District 4 home. He has dedicated himself to fighting for the community by assisting victims of violent crimes, working directly with youth in rehabilitation programs, and served as a Big Brother with the Big Brothers Big Sisters program. In his short time in office, Councilmember Tyler Maxwell has brought forward the Zero Fare Clean Air Act, making Fresno the largest city with a bus fare suspension through COVID-19 which went into effect on March 1st. He also planted 100 trees in his district within his first 100 days in office to beautify our community and help clean our air. Councilmember Tyler Maxwell serves on a variety of committees within the City of Fresno including the Measure P Implementation Committee, Transportation Committee, Community Development Block Grant Committee, and the Census Redistricting Committee. Councilmember Tyler Maxwell proudly serves as the youngest member on the Fresno City Council.

Staff
Laura Garcia

Laura Garcia
Chief of Staff
[email protected]

Born and raised in Southeast Fresno, Laura Garcia is a proud graduate of Fresno State. She holds a B.A. in Political Science and a double minor in Sociology and Philanthropic and Community Based Leadership. Laura began to work with the City of Fresno in early 2019 as a council assistant overseeing the district’s community outreach, events, communications, and special projects. She earned recognition as Employee of the Quarter in the City of Fresno in 2020. Laura currently serves as a board member to the Calwa Rec and Park District and serves as Fresno’s youngest Chief of Staff to Councilmember Tyler Maxwell

Carmen Iñiguez

Carmen Iñiguez
District Director
[email protected]

Carmen Iniguez comes from the CA State Senate. She immigrated from Mexico with her parents and sister at the age of five, growing up in Los Angeles until her parents bought a home in Fresno. In her professional career, Carmen quickly learned the importance of hard work. As a Tax Professional, Insurance Broker, and Notary Public she dedicated herself to serving others in the Central Valley. As a senate employee, Carmen went above and beyond in helping constituents in need during the COVID-19 pandemic. Carmen is also a full-time single parent of 3 wonderful children.

Nabil Kherfan

Nabil Kherfan
Deputy District Director
[email protected]

Nabil Kherfan is a life-long resident of Fresno and the son of immigrants. Nabil earned his B.A. in Political Science from UC Santa Cruz and is proud to be the first in his family to graduate from college. During his studies, Nabil interned with the National Education Association.

Upon returning to Fresno, Nabil has worked on various political campaigns for City Council, County Supervisor, Congress, and a statewide ballot initiative. His passion for serving the community is what drew him to joining Councilmember Maxwell’s team.

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Isabel Salazar
Deputy District Director
[email protected]

Isabel Salazar was born and raised in Fresno, CA. She graduated from UC Santa Cruz with a B.A. in Literature and a minor in Latin American and Latino Studies. There, she was involved in working at the campus food pantry and as an undergraduate researcher for the Human Rights Investigations Lab. Returning to Fresno after graduation, Isabel began her career as a Council Aide for Councilmember Tyler Maxwell. In her spare time, Isabel volunteers weekly as a literacy mentor for Every Neighborhood Partnership and values being a caring member of her community.

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Carmen Flores
Media Director
[email protected]

Carmen Flores was born and raised in Fresno, CA. She earned her B.A. in Communications and minored in Mass Communications and Journalism with an option in Public Relations from California State University, Fresno. During her time at Fresno State University, she was involved in student involvement organizations like the University Student Union Board of Directors as Chair of the Public Relations Committee and Vintage Days as the Assistant Student Director. She continues to serve her community as the Communications Director for the Fresno County Young Democrats and is the newest member of the District 4 team.

Contact Our Office!
Phone: (559) 621-8000
Email: [email protected]

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Policy Initiatives

Zero Fare Clean Air Act

One of my first policies included passing the Zero Fair Clean Air Act which suspended bus fares city-wide. With the majority of our bus riders making less than $20,000 a year and many struggling financially due to COVID-19, I want to ensure our most vulnerable residents have greater access to: vaccination sites, healthcare facilities, school, and their jobs.

With the support of our community, we made Fresno the largest city with a bus fare suspension from March 1st through August 31st. Beginning September 1st, the City of Fresno reduced the previous $1.25 bus fares for all riders:

Adults $1.00
Seniors $0.50
Children 12 & Under Free
Veterans and active military Free
Fresno State students Free
FAX Bus

Lawn-to-Garden Rebate Program

Interested in saving big money on your monthly City of Fresno water bill? We have just the program for you. A $1.00 per square foot rebate is available for the removal of existing lawns when replaced with water-efficient landscapes up to $1,500. Micro drip irrigation rebates are also available for up to $500. My staff is here to walk you through the entire process, beginning to end. Interested in learning more? Visit the link below or call our office using the number provided.

Call (559) 621-7846 for additional information or apply online

Landscape

100 Days, 100 Trees Initiative

(Thursday, April 22nd, 2021) The 100 Days, 100 Trees initiative included planting 100 trees in District 4 throughout Councilmember Maxwell’s first 100 days in office. The 100th tree was planted on Earth Day at Robinson Park in District 4

Tree Planting

Eviction Protection Program

Under Fresno’s eviction protection program, residents who are facing an unlawful eviction may be eligible to receive a City-sponsored attorney or legal services to assist them in the judicial process at no cost to them. This program was designed to help safeguard Fresno’s most vulnerable tenants from potentially unlawful evictions as we anticipate a wave of evictions across the nation.

My belief is that the best way to combat homelessness is to ensure folks never end up on the streets in the first place.

Maxwell giving speech

Parking Enforcement at El Dorado Park

In June, I was proud to remove the parking restrictions put in place prior to my time in office, along with all related parking fines from the El Dorado Park neighborhood. It was time to correct the burden placed on the many families of El Dorado park while continuing to maintain the cleanliness and integrity of the neighborhood.

Parking - El Dorado Park

Exclusive Negotiation Agreements (or ENA’s)

In May, I successfully created legislation that ended the city’s old practice of cutting deals with big developers that granted them exclusive property rights, also known as Exclusive Negotiation Agreements (or ENAs). ENAs were agreements that gave certain private developers an exclusive ability to negotiate for the purchase of city-owned property for development purposes. In the past, ENAs caused significant development delays and raised eyebrows about “sweetheart deals” with favorite developers. The removal of ENAs will ensure that the sale of city-owned properties goes through a fair and competitive process, as well as add accountability to ensure development projects are completed in a timely manner.

City Council Public Accessibility Act

In September, I was proud to unanimously pass the City Council Public Accessibility Act making the Fresno City Council the largest elected body in the state to commit to a permanent virtual participation option. The Public Accessibility Act will ensure that all future City Council meetings will have an in-person, internet, and call-in option allowing people across Fresno to have the right to participate in government, despite their primary language or ability to be physically at City Hall. The ‘Council Public Accessibility Act’ will ensure that more Fresnans than ever before are able to shape the future of our City.

Smoke-Free Multi-Unit Housing Policy

In October, I led a smoke-free multi-unit housing ordinance across the City of Fresno. This ordinance will take into effect January 1st of 2022 and will prioritize the health and well-being of our children and most vulnerable families by preventing smoking or vaping in apartment buildings and most condominiums with shared walls and ventilation systems. Too many children in our community are developing respiratory issues for reasons outside of their control. I am proud to have championed that common-sense policy that places our children’s and families’ health first.

Budget Highlights

During our City’s budget discussions in June, I advocated for many of the issues the residents of District 4 have a long-needed investment in such as public safety, housing, and infrastructure improvements. This budget works to restore a sense of pride in our District 4 community by focusing on what our neighborhoods need the most.

  • $3.5 million to neighborhood infrastructure projects including street and sidewalk repairs
  • $2.4 million for tree trimming & beautification
  • $2 Million toward the design of a dedicated Senior Center
  • $1 million for a protected bike lane on Barstow Ave. from Blackstone to the Fresno State University campus
  • $750,000 for the Eviction Protection Program shielding tenants from unlawful evictions
  • $500,000 for the expansion of District 4 greenspace and parks
  • $400,000 to preserve historic District 4 landmarks
  • $100,000 for a full-time position to increase city bicycle and pedestrian safety
  • Continuation of Zero Fare bus rides for children 12 & under and veterans
  • Hiring 120 police officers, 4 new 911 dispatchers, 9 crime scene investigators, 42 firefighters, and 25 community service officers
Neighborhood Improvements

100 Trees in 100 Days
We pledged to plant 100 trees in your neighborhoods within our first 100 days through our Conserve Fresno initiative. In early February, we started planting in Cary Park with neighboring families and met our goal by planting our 100th tree on Earth Day.

Our 100 Trees Breakdown

Cary Park……………………………. 10 Trees

Cedar Avenue Corridor……….80 Trees

Robinson Park…………………….10 Trees

Along with Beautify Fresno, we’ve accomplished various projects throughout our first 100 days such as re-painting addresses for residents with the help of the Fresno State Football team, trimming neighborhood trees, removing graffiti, and picking up over 8,835 pounds of garbage! Due to our success, we are already planning additional beautification efforts and even more tree plantings throughout our district.

We have made the following investments directly into our neighborhoods with more projects underway:

Completed Infrastructure Improvements

  • Maple Avenue protected bike lane between Shaw and Gettysburg
  • Repaving McKinley from HW168 to Chestnut
  • Repaving Sunnyside Shields to Clinton
  • Repaving Shields from Clovis to Sunnyside
  • Repaving Bullard from First to Cedar
  • Sidewalk repairs in the Rotary Park neighborhood
  • New splash pad at Melody Park
  • New Tollhouse Park playground shade structure, chain link fence, and benches
  • Resurfacing and repainting the Cary Park hockey rink
  • Increased security lighting at Vinland Park
  • New park space in the Wolters Elementary Neighborhood

Pending Infrastructure Improvements

  • Repaving near the Ericson Elementary neighborhood
  • Protected bike lane from Blackstone to Fresno State along Barstow Avenue
  • Increased security lighting at Vinland Park
  • Fresno & Browning traffic signal light
  • Repaving Bullard Avenue from First to Cedar Avenue
  • Concrete repairs in the Garland & Sierra Vista neighborhood
  • Concrete and pavement repairs around Millbrook and Browning
  • Repaving Sierra Vista street from Dakota to Shields
  • City-Wide District 4 segment of the Mid-Town Trail
  • Renovations at the new Bulldog & 6th Community Center
Eviction Protection Program (EPP)

WHAT IS EPP?

The Eviction Protection Program (EPP) protects tenants renting apartments or homes from unlawful evictions. If the City determines you are potentially facing such an unlawful eviction, you may be eligible to receive a City-sponsored attorney or legal services to assist you in the judicial process at no charge.

This program is open to any City of Fresno resident who is facing an unlawful eviction regardless of financial or documented status. Common reasons for unlawful evictions include the inability to pay rent because of income loss from COVID-19, retaliation for reporting code enforcement violations, discrimination, unlawful rent increases, and many more.

Once your case is reviewed, the City Attorney’s Office will determine if you need an Attorney or Legal Mediation Services.

WHO QUALIFIES?

This program is for residential tenants renting in the City of Fresno.

HOW CAN EPP HELP?

Once your case is reviewed, the City Attorney’s Office will determine if you need an Attorney or Legal Mediation Services.

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES:

More Information About the EPP

Frequently Asked Questions About Evictions

If you are behind in your rent because of COVID-19, learn more about the Emergency Rental Assistance Program

Know Your Tenant Rights

Apply Now
Emergency Rental Assistance Program

The City of Fresno’s Emergency Rental Assistance (ERA) program began on March 15, 2021 and is currently available to residents of the City of Fresno.

Apply Here

Tenant Eligibility Requirements:

  • Rental Property is located in the City of Fresno
  • Tenant must meet income requirements
  • Tenant must be unable to pay the full amount of rent because of a loss of income due to COVID-19
  • Tenant must provide qualification of unemployment benefits or experience a reduction in income, incurred significant costs, or experienced other financial hardship due directly or indirectly to COVID-19
  • Tenant must provide documentation that rent areas and/or utility areas is owed
  • Tenant must complete the tenant portion of the online application

Landlord Eligibility Requirements:

  • Rental Property is located in the City of Fresno
  • Tenant must meet income requirements
  • Tenant must be unable to pay the full amount of rent because of a loss of income due to COVID-19
  • Landlord must complete the landlord portion of the online application
Lawn to Garden Rebate Program

Interested in saving money on your monthly water bill? The City of Fresno offers a $1.00 per square foot rebate for the removal of existing lawns when replaced with water-efficient landscapes, up to a maximum of 1,500 sq. feet. You can also be rebated up to $500 for conversion to a micro-drip irrigation system with proof of receipt.

Request a consultation through FresGO or call 3-1-1

Learn More
In the News

Fresno mayor, City Council drop fight against Measure P, in victory for parks advocates
(January 8th, 2021) The majority of the Fresno City Council on Thursday voted to drop the city’s protestations of Measure P, a tax for parks that has been working its way through the courts. In his first vote and resolution passed on the council, Councilmember Maxwell affirmed Fresno’s support of parks and greenspace for all. Generations of residents will be able to enjoy the safe and engaging spaces Measure “P” will help create.

Fresno councilman wants to make FAX bus free for everyone. How will the city pay for it?
(February 3, 2021) Maxwell said that loss could be covered by CARES Act dollars in the short term, but could also be covered by grants or savings from within the FAX department. Kansas City is perhaps the closest example of Maxwell’s plan. But there are nearby examples too. Visalia has operated without fares during the pandemic, and Clovis went fare-free in October.

Fresno council member: Making city buses free to ride will boost the economy, clean the air
(February 10, 2021) By eliminating bus fares we can get more people vaccinated, get Fresnans back to work, stimulate our economy, reduce carbon emissions, increase FAX efficiency and safety, provide equity for our most disadvantaged residents, and promote the development of a more walkable city. In the short term, we will use our federal allocation of COVID relief dollars. Post-pandemic we will continue partnerships with our bus ticket bulk buyers like Fresno State and partner with local healthcare providers and major local employers who have already expressed an interest in supporting this vital service.

Fresno City Council passes Eviction Protection Program, still finalizing details
(May 13th, 2021) “The proposed Eviction Protection Program (EPP) will help safeguard Fresno’s most vulnerable tenants in a time when we are anticipating a wave of evictions across the nation,” said Councilmember Maxwell. Fresno’s EPP will allow the City Attorney to seek outside legal counsel to represent tenants who are facing potential unlawful evictions. The second part of the package will include an amendment of the Rental Housing Improvement Act, which will strengthen the City’s proactive inspection program.

New program is a game-changer for Fresno renters who are facing illegal evictions
(July 30, 2021) The City of Fresno launched its first-ever Eviction Protection Program aimed at providing legal aid to renters who believe they are being unlawfully evicted. The program will be administered by the City Attorney’s office where residents can contact their office for an initial screening interview. If your case is determined to be unlawful, you will be referred to outside legal counsel for representation at no cost.

Internship Program Opportunity

Want to gain new skills for the workforce and serve your community? Become a Council Intern! Councilmember Tyler Maxwell is providing valuable work experience through the District 4 Fresno City Council Internship Program.

Participants will be given work experience that can prepare them for permanent positions.

The minimum number of hours a Council Intern should be available to work is 12 hours per week. During semester or vacation breaks Council Interns can work more hours than they are normally scheduled to work, if available.

REQUIREMENTS FOR COUNCIL INTERNS:

  1. Must be at least 16 years of age.
  2. Must be enrolled as a full-time student at an accredited high school, college or university; proof of enrollment must be submitted.
  3. Student must submit a short letter expressing their interest in becoming a Council Intern.
  4. Student must fill out Councilmember Tyler Maxwell’s Internship Application and apply directly with his office. Find application attached at the bottom of this page.

HOW TO APPLY:

E-mail the following items as a PDF packet to [email protected]

  1. Complete the Councilmember Tyler Maxwell Internship Application.
  2. Provide proof of enrollment.
  3. Include a letter of interest.
  4. Submit 2 References (cannot be a relative).
Download Intern Application
Code Violation Guide

Code Violations (559) 621-8400

  1. Car Parked On Lawn
  2. InOp In Driveway (cob webs, flat tires, wrecked)
  3. InOp In Yard
  4. Car Over Unpaved Surface
  5. Boat Stored In Driveway
  6. Trailer Stored In Driveway
  7. Trailer Stored In Yard
  8. Boat Stored In Yard
  9. Tall Weeds, 6″ Tall
  10. Dry, Tall Weeds
  11. Vacant Unsecured House
  12. Trash In Yard
  13. Trash In Driveway
  14. Trash At Gutter
  15. Junk And Appliances In Driveway
  16. Junk And Appliances In Yard
  17. Canopy In Driveway
  18. Basketball Hoop On Sidewalk
  19. Parked Car On Sidewalk
  20. Trash And Junk In Alley
  21. Weeds, Dry, Tall In Alley
  22. Auto Repair On Property
  23. A Fence Taller Than 6 Feet Or Shorter Than 3 Feet
  24. Mobil Home In Driveway
  25. Mobil Home In Yard
  26. Yard Sale Signs on Trees, in Medians, or on Poles

Report Code Violations with FresGo

FresGo - Report an Issue

Police Violations (559) 621-8000

  1. InOp Parked In Street (cob webs, flat tires, wrecked)
  2. Boat Stored In Street
  3. Trailer Stored In Street
  4. Basketball Hoop In Street
  5. Mobile Home Parked In Street W/Power Hooked Up

Public Works (559) 621-8650

  1. Sign Replacement/Repair
  2. Sidewalk, Curb, Gutter Repairs
  3. Tree Removal/Replacement And Trimming
  4. Street Lights
  5. Traffic Lights
  6. Standing Water

Community Sanitation Graffiti Reporting Form On-Line

  1. Graffiti Reporting (fences, trees, parks, building and signs)
Contact Council President Tyler Maxwell’s Office
Contact District 4