Clovis voters deciding on three City Council members and a public safety hotel tax
Ten candidates were vying for three Clovis City Council seats this election, including incumbent Drew Bessinger, who netted the most votes as of the latest count late Tuesday night.
At least two newcomers will be elected to the other open seats as councilmembers Jose Flores and Bob Whalen step down. Whalen was elected as a Fresno County Superior Court judge. He will start that work in January. Mayor Flores is retiring. The five-member Clovis City Council elects the mayor.
“I think it’s a vote of confidence from the citizens of Clovis that we handled things well as a city during the COVID pandemic,” Bessinger said of his lead during an election night watch party at the House of JuJu in Clovis. He served as the city’s mayor from 2019 to 2021. “We worked to keep businesses open and protect the public’s health at the same time.”
The other top vote-getters were Diane Pearce and Matt Basgall, based on 31% of ballots from eligible voters counted for that race so far, the office of the Fresno County Clerk and Registrar of Voters reported. Its next update is Thursday.
Clovis voters were also voting on a public safety measure, Measure B. It needs more than 50% of the vote to pass. As of the last update around 10:45 p.m., counting the same number of ballots, Measure B had 69.9% approval, with 15,022 yes votes.
All 25 voting precincts in those races are now reporting numbers.
Here’s how the 10 Clovis City Council candidates were doing, based on the latest vote counts available late Tuesday night:
Drew Bessinger: 11,230 votes, 21.7% of the vote.
Bessinger has been a member of the Clovis City Council since 2017, also previously serving as its mayor. He was in the U.S. Army and was the chief of police for four cities and the Fresno Yosemite International Airport. He retired from the Clovis Police Department in 2009 as a captain. He’s also a San Joaquin Valley Air Pollution Control District board member.
“My main goal as your Councilmember is to keep Clovis the safest and cleanest community in California,” Bessinger wrote on his campaign website. “We need to continue our growth, but not grow so fast that we outpace our ability to serve all of our citizens. We also need to create an environment that attracts business so Clovis is not just a bedroom community for Fresno. We need to do all of this, while keeping our ‘small town’ feel that has made Clovis the special place that it truly is.”
Diane Pearce: 10,920 votes, 21.1% of the vote.
Pearce and her husband own and operate King Productions, which does Elvis Presley impersonations. She serves on the Fresno County Civil Service Commission. Pearce is also a KMJ radio contributor and host, and has been a KSEE24 panelist and Fresno Bee guest columnist. She previously worked for former Rep. George Radanovich and as a substitute teacher.
Pearce told The Bee her priorities include public safety, addressing homelessness, strengthening local control, and bolstering economic growth.
Matt Basgall: 10,196 votes, 19.7% of the vote.
Like Bessinger, Basgall worked for the Clovis Police Department. Basgall retired from the department in 2019 as police chief.
“As the Chief I believed in creative solutions and vision to keep Clovis the Safest City in the Valley,” Basgall told The Bee.
He was feeling great about the election results during a watch party at the 500 Club in Clovis on Tuesday night.
“I am honored to have the support of Clovis,” Basgall said, “and look forward to serving.”
If elected, he said public safety will be his No. 1 priority. Basgall said job creation and economic development are also important, including preparing for “the next recession to avoid layoffs of safety personnel and city staff.”
Joshua Phanco: 4,014 votes, 7.8% of the vote.
Phanco and his wife own The Phanco Group insurance agency, an Allstate agency in Clovis. He also serves a board member for the Foundation for Clovis Schools, board adviser for the Fresno Mission, and a commissioner for the Bud Rank Soccer Club.
His priorities include public safety, supporting businesses, and “responsible” city growth.
“I promise to always prioritize the needs of Clovis first beyond any personal politics or affiliations,” Phanco wrote on his campaign website. “My fellow Clovis friends and neighbors have my commitment that I will champion causes and issues that make our city better and work with others willing to do the same.”
Martin Salas: 3,956 votes, 7.7% of the vote.
Salas did not provide contact information to the elections department, and doesn’t have a campaign website.
Fresnoland reported that he is a Fresno police officer who received a Lifesaving Medal with Valor.
Des Haus: 3,335 votes, 6.5% of the vote.
Haus said she handles strategic partnerships for a national energy company, along with working with organizations that advocate for legislation concerning schools and local government.
She said her priorities include supporting businesses and public safety, advocating for services, and strengthening local control.
“The City of Clovis deserves a diverse and dedicated Council that will work together to ensure our community remains united and successful,” Haus said.
Joseph Hebert: 3,292 votes, 6.4% of the vote.
Hebert is currently serving as director of parks and community services for the city of Madera, as a personnel commissioner for State Center Community College District, and as a board member for Salt & Light, a nonprofit located in Visalia.
He said his extensive career included working in aerospace and several large companies, including Apple and Hewlett-Packard. In Clovis, Hebert worked as an executive for Pelco/Schneider Electric. He also served as executive director of a nonprofit in southwest Fresno dedicated to treating those suffering from alcohol and substance abuse.
His priorities include promoting housing affordability, safe neighborhoods, “best practices among municipalities,” along with reducing homelessness.
Kyle Chaney: 2,362 votes, 4.6% of the vote.
Chaney works as a Realtor. Chaney wrote on his campaign website that he’ll work to keep Clovis “safer, more affordable, and stronger than ever.”
Mark Allen Kazanjian: 1,772 votes, 3.4% of the vote.
Kazanjian is the owner of “Neighbors” restaurants in Clovis, Fresnoland reported. He doesn’t have a campaign website and didn’t respond to an email from The Bee.
Guy Redner: 497 votes, 1% of the vote.
“My goal is to bring ‘the Clovis way of life’ to all of our citizens regardless of their individual background by promoting affordable housing and reliable public transportation,” Redner told The Bee, “in addition to addressing the homeless.”
His campaign Facebook page lists his most recent employment at China Peak Mountain Resort.
There is an election for the Clovis City Council every two years, which alternates between two and three open seats each cycle. Those elected serve four-year terms. Unlike in Fresno, Clovis City Council members are elected at-large, instead of by district. The top three vote-getters will win the seats.
Measure B for public safety
Measure B is listed by the county election’s office as the Transient Occupancy Tax Measure. The city of Clovis has described it as the City of Clovis Public Safety Improvement Measure.
It requires 50% plus one vote in favor for it to pass in the general election. It had 69.9% yes votes as of a vote count announced around 10:45 p.m., with 15,022 people voting in favor of it.
Bessinger said the measure should result in Clovis being able to hire four more police officers soon, and could potentially add additional fire department positions in the future as hotel tax revenue grows. He felt confident it would pass on Tuesday night.
The city is asking residents to vote to increase the tax paid by hotel guests from 10% to 12%, with the 2% increase providing approximately half a million dollars annually to aid public safety in Clovis. The measure aims to improve “emergency response times, police protection, neighborhood services,” anti-gang and anti-drug programs, “and provide other City services.”
“Measure B is a general tax and does not require that any additional tax revenue be used for a particular purpose,” the city said. Any additional tax revenue generated will go to the city’s general fund, and could be used “for any government purpose, including but not limited to funding police and public safety services, maintaining and improving parks, streets and other City facilities, and paying for other general fund obligations.
“The proposed tax increase contains no sunset date and would continue indefinitely until repealed by the voters of the City in a subsequent election.”
