From:
Subject: Fresno Animal Center Budget
Date: Sunday, June 21, 2026 2:23:47 PM
External Email: Use caution with links and attachments
To the Honorable Members of the Fresno City Council,
I am contacting you today to strongly advocate for expanded spay and neuter funding within the upcoming Fiscal Year 2026-2027 budget.
Prioritizing spay and neuter services is a proven strategy for managing pet overpopulation and reducing the number of homeless animals entering our local shelters. By funding proactive prevention now, the City can significantly lower long-term taxpayer expenses related to emergency animal sheltering and public safety enforcement.
I fully endorse Councilmember Annalisa Perea’s motion to bolster the spay and neuter budget and urge the City to implement a permanent, increased annual funding stream for these essential programs.
Thank you for prioritizing animal welfare and fiscal responsibility in Fresno by supporting this funding increase.
Respectfully,
Kalyn Tachovaka
From:
To:
Subject: June 23 City Council Meeting
Date: Sunday, June 21, 2026 5:11:23 PM
Attachments: June 23 meeting.docx.pdf
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Good afternoon. I would like to add the attached letter to public comments.
Kris Thompson
Fresno TNR
June 21, 2026
Dear Fresno City Council,
On behalf of Fresno TNR, we respectfully ask for your support for increased spay-and-neuter funding in the Fiscal Year 2026-2027 budget.
We would like to express our sincere appreciation to Fresno Animal Center, city staff, and the Fresno City Council for recognizing the importance of prevention-based solutions to address pet overpopulation in our community. The partnership between Fresno Animal Center and local nonprofit organizations has demonstrated that when we work together, we can make a meaningful impact.
Fresno TNR proudly supports Councilmember Annalisa Perea's proposal to increase funding for spay and neuter services. This investment represents one of the most effective and fiscally responsible strategies available to reduce pet overpopulation, decrease shelter overcrowding, and improve outcomes for both cats and dogs throughout Fresno.
Since our founding, Fresno TNR has helped facilitate the spaying and neutering of more than 24,300 cats throughout Fresno and the surrounding communities. In just the first half of 2026, we have assisted with more than 4,000 cats through our community programs. These efforts have prevented countless instances of unwanted litter while reducing future demands on shelter resources.
As the Council prepares to adopt the Fiscal Year 2026-2027 budget, Fresno TNR respectfully urges you to support increased spay-and-neuter funding and to establish a dedicated annual investment in prevention. The need continues to grow, and the demand for affordable services far exceeds the resources currently available.
By investing in spay-and-neuter today, Fresno can reduce future shelter costs, improve animal welfare outcomes, and create lasting benefits for our community.
We believe Fresno has an opportunity to become a leader in proactive animal welfare by investing in effective solutions. Increased spay-and-neuter funding will help keep animals out of shelters, support responsible pet ownership, improve public health, and save taxpayer dollars.
Thank you for your leadership, your service to the residents of Fresno, and your consideration of this important investment in our community's future.
Respectfully,
Kris Thompson
Secretary, Fresno TNR
Tax ID # 93-1364813
From:
To:
Date: Sunday, June 21, 2026 7:23:51 PM
External Email: Use caution with links and attachments
Please do not fund this cruelty
Unhoused is trauma enough
Humanity is what is lacking...
Be better than the failed past efforts.
We, the people
From:
Subject: Spay & Neuter Funding
Date: Sunday, June 21, 2026 8:40:39 PM
External Email: Use caution with links and attachments
To the Honorable Members of the Fresno City
Council,
I am contacting you today to strongly advocate
for expanded spay and neuter funding within the
upcoming Fiscal Year 2026-2027 budget.
Prioritizing spay and neuter services is a proven
strategy for managing pet overpopulation and
reducing the number of homeless animals
entering our local shelters. By funding proactive
prevention now, the City can significantly lower
long-term taxpayer expenses related to
emergency animal sheltering and public safety
enforcement.
I fully endorse Councilmember Annalisa Perea’s
motion to bolster the spay and neuter budget
and urge the City to implement a permanent,
increased annual funding stream for these
essential programs.
Thank you for prioritizing animal welfare and
fiscal responsibility in Fresno by supporting this
funding increase.
Respectfully,
Amber Kraemer
From:
Subject: Public comment, Final Budget Vote
Date: Sunday, June 21, 2026 10:06:24 PM
External Email: Use caution with links and attachments
Council member Esparza and City Clerk,
I am writing to express my opposition to adding another HART team to the City of Fresno's budget. As a long time organizer and case worker for many unhoused individuals I have seen first-hand how my clients have been impacted.
The HART team has repeatedly taken my clients' personal belongings including personal and
necessary documents such as ID's, social security cards, birth certificates, immigration documents, etc. I have personally had to help clients request and or buy new sets of documents repeatedly in the same year. This is because indiscriminately would take their belongings, and
give my clients zero opportunity to keep or store them when they are being HART-lessly harassed by PD.
How are folks supposed to get off their feet if they can't even provide proof of who they are to get services, health care (physical and emotional), housing, education, or employment? Instead of investing in ways to help them, we invest more in the people who police them and show
zero empathy for their situation.
As you constituent I ask you to vote NO on this proposed update and instead focus on finding solutions that are based in humanity, empathy, kindness and creativity.
From:
Subject: Public comment, vote on motions: HART
Date: Monday, June 22, 2026 12:41:44 PM
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Dear Fresno City Council Members,
My name is Amanda Gann, and I am a Special Education teacher who works closely with some of Fresno’s most vulnerable students and families. I am writing to urge you to oppose the proposed expansion of the Homeless Assistance Response Team (HART) and reject funding for a second HART team in the FY 2027 City of Fresno budget.
As a teacher, I see firsthand how housing instability affects children. Several of my students are currently experiencing homelessness or housing insecurity. They come to school carrying the stress, trauma, and uncertainty that accompanies not knowing where they will sleep, whether their belongings will be safe, or whether their family will have a stable place to live.
These children need compassion, stability, and services—not policies that can further disrupt their lives.
The Mayor’s proposed budget states that a second HART team would expand outreach and encampment resolution efforts.
However, many unhoused residents, service providers, and community advocates have reported that HART operations often result in the loss of personal belongings, identification documents, medications, family keepsakes, and other essential items that people need to survive and successfully transition into housing.
When families lose critical documents, clothing, school supplies, phones, or transportation, the path to employment, housing, and educational stability becomes even more difficult. As an educator, I know that every additional barrier placed in front of a family can negatively impact a child’s attendance, academic progress, mental health, and overall well-being.
Rather than expanding enforcement-oriented responses, I urge the City to invest in evidence- based solutions that address the root causes of homelessness, including:
Affordable and supportive housing.
Mental health and substance use services.
Family support and homelessness prevention programs.
Youth and family shelters.
Outreach programs that build trust and connect people to services without the threat of displacement.
The City’s own budget highlights significant investments in housing and shelter programs. I encourage you to prioritize these efforts and direct additional resources toward housing and supportive services rather than expanding HART operations.
Our community should be measured not by how effectively it moves homeless people out of public view, but by how effectively it helps them achieve stability, dignity, and permanent
housing. As someone who works every day with children whose lives are affected by homelessness, I ask you to vote against funding a second HART team and instead invest in solutions that help families and students thrive.
Thank you for your consideration and for your service to our community.
Sincerely,
Amanda Gann
Special Education Teacher