Mike Karbassi says he can do a better job running elections than the current county clerk and is challenging James Kus in 2026.

Karbassi, a Fresno city councilmember since 2019, said people are frustrated with the current election administration. He said they are tired of waiting in line, and issues with ballots sent to the wrong location.

“It’s really important that people have confidence in their elections,” Karbassi said.

Kus Touts Experience

The Fresno County Board of Supervisors appointed Kus as Fresno County Clerk/Registrar of Voters in 2021 after predecessor Brandi Orth resigned. Kus won re-election unopposed in 2022.

Kus said the job is “very reliant upon experience,” which he has.

He had a rough 2024 election, with incorrect ballots sent to voters, and a lost drop box key.

But, experience he said, allowed him to find errors and fix them.

“Without years of experience, I wouldn’t have been able to actually identify that problem that we had there and be able to implement the changes that we have made,” Kus said.

Karbassi acknowledges he does not have the same experience managing elections, but says his private sector experience — his family sells Persian rugs — and time as an elected official give him the edge.

“I feel that I can do a better job with my management experience and having been a candidate on the other side, being so frustrated with votes taking so long to count … ,” Karbassi said.

Running Elections Effectively

Kus said elections can be run accurately, quickly, or cheaply.

“But you can only really do two of those three things,” Kus said.

Kus said he does take his time, but he keeps costs under control. And, sometimes he is faster than other counties.

Karbassi said he will have a better relationship with the Fresno County Board of Supervisors, which approves the clerk’s budget. He already has the endorsements of Garry Bredefeld and Luis Chavez, former city council colleagues who are county supervisors.

Another Karbassi goal is to make it easier to vote, either in person or through the mail. In the November 2024 election, 52% voted by mail.

“When someone’s coming in with zero experience, their ideas may be good and can be implemented, but you’re not going to have the capability of doing that because you can’t bring the leadership, the knowledge that the team needs to be able to get to that point,” Kus said.

Running for clerk means Karbassi does not plan to run for Fresno mayor in 2028. If he wins, he would leave his council seat early.

He reported more than $60,000 cash on hand in his council campaign account as of Dec. 31, 2024.

Kus reported $16,500 cash on hand through the end of 2024. He recently received $25,000 from his father, also named James Kus, a professor emeritus at Fresno State.

Competitive clerk races are rare. Only one of last five elections has had a challenger.

Fresno Planning Commission Amenable to Banquet Hall

The owner of a adult day care center wanted to rent out its banquet hall on a full-time basis. The city said the owner couldn’t because there is not enough parking. Last week, the Fresno Planning Commission told the parties to keep finding a solution.

The city denied a conditional use permit for Rivendell Community Day Care, at 4927 E. McKinley Ave. Councilmember Tyler Maxwell appealed to the planning commission.

Owner Xiamy Ly-Yang said one of her participants asked if they could use the community space at the day care for her sister’s quinceañera. It was a hit.

“I have something available. You want it for a really affordable price? You may have it,” Ly-Yang told the commission.

Manuel Cunha of the Nisei Farmers League and several other community members spoke in support of Ly-Yang.

“I can’t accept that there’s not a way to work this out,” commissioner Kathy Bray said. She also suggested the day care center engage in a parking agreement with neighbors.

The planning commission voted 6-0 to send the item back to staff. Commissioner Peter Vang was absent.

In 2023, the city council said no to building a car wash near the day care center.

Clovis, Developers Agree on New Water Fee

After challenges to update development fees last year, the city of Clovis may have found an acceptable plan.

Last year after a contentious debate, the city council approved a 104% increase to water fees, averaging more than $12,000 per unit. The local chapter of the Building Industry of America objected, and another round of negotiations started.

Now the water fees have been set at an average of $9,625 per unit. The sides agreed on a simplified cost structure — divide the cost of providing water to how many homes will benefit. That met with the approval of BIA’s Darren Rose, who thanked the city.

The council approved the plan 5-0.

The fees will stay in place through 2033. City staff said fees could go up significantly at that time.

More fees, except for sewer, will be proposed later this month based on the construction cost index.

Judicial Election Date Correction

New Fresno County Judge Melissa Baloian will face re-election in 2026 and not 2028, as Kus originally told Politics 101.

Newsom appointed Baloian last week to fill the vacancy of Adolfo Corona.

Corona resigned in 2024, making 2026 the next election date.