Fresno Arts Council employee embezzles $1.5M in taxpayer funds

City cancels contract with council, initiates criminal investigation and financial audit

Published on Feb. 10, 2026

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An employee of the Fresno Arts Council has embezzled approximately $1.5 million of Measure P funds, a 3/8-cent sales tax that provides funding for parks, facilities, recreation, and arts programs in the city. The city has cancelled the council's contract to administer future Measure P funds, initiated a criminal investigation, and will conduct a forensic financial audit.

Why it matters

The loss of $1.5 million in taxpayer funds is a significant blow to the city's ability to maintain and improve parks, trails, and community programs. It also raises concerns about oversight and accountability for organizations entrusted with public money, especially those involved in administering voter-approved tax measures.

The details

According to city officials, the Fresno Arts Council received two cycles of Measure P funding totaling over $15 million since the measure passed in 2022. An employee of the council embezzled approximately $1.5 million of those funds, prompting the city to cancel the council's contract to administer future Measure P money. A criminal investigation has been initiated, and the city will conduct a forensic financial audit of the council's books.

  • On February 5, 2026, a board member of the Fresno Arts Council notified city officials of the embezzlement.
  • On February 6, 2026, the city initiated a criminal investigation into the matter.
  • In October 2025, the city denied the arts council's request for a third cycle of Measure P funding due to insufficient documentation.

The players

Fresno Arts Council

A local organization that was previously entrusted with administering Measure P funds, which provide funding for parks, facilities, recreation, and arts programs in Fresno.

City of Fresno

The local government that oversees the Measure P funds and has now cancelled the Fresno Arts Council's contract to administer the money, initiated a criminal investigation, and will conduct a forensic financial audit.

Jerry Dyer

The mayor of Fresno who, along with the city council president and vice president, stated that the loss of $1.5 million in taxpayer funds is unacceptable.

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What they’re saying

“The loss of $1.5 million of taxpayer dollars is unacceptable.”

— Jerry Dyer, Mayor of Fresno (yourcentralvalley.com)

“We will pursue every available avenue to recover the taxpayer funds up to and to include litigation.”

— City of Fresno (yourcentralvalley.com)

What’s next

The city will conduct a forensic financial investigation of the Fresno Arts Council's books and pursue legal action to recover the embezzled funds.

The takeaway

This incident highlights the importance of strong financial oversight and accountability for organizations entrusted with public money, especially those involved in administering voter-approved tax measures. The city's swift action to cancel the contract, initiate a criminal investigation, and pursue recovery of the funds demonstrates a commitment to protecting taxpayer dollars.