Government

Fresno Government

Welcome to the City of Fresno Business Tax Division! We hope the information you find here will be helpful to you in your business operations. Access information about how to start your own business, apply for a business tax certificate, pay your tax payment online, start the approval process for business permits, download forms, look up information about existing businesses, view new business license recipients or use our Business Directory. Our Frequently Asked Questions section has useful answers to many common questions. Or you may contact our Customer Service division at (559) 621-6880 or businesstax@fresno.gov .

The City of Fresno Finance Department works with over 25,000 businesses and events annually. The Business License sections of the Fresno Municipal Code state the requirements and regulations under which all businesses shall operate [FMC Sections 5-101 and 5-102]. There are usually questions by about the term “license” according to the Fresno Municipal Code. The term is not meant to construe a professional certification of an ability or accredited diploma by this municipality. Rather, it is a term referring to the ability of the City to gather revenue in the form of taxes where persons carry on any trade, calling, profession, or occupation in the City.

The term “permit” refers to the business activities engaged by persons or groups identified by the City Council as needing to be regulated or controlled for the good of the citizenry at large. See the Business License Checklist for further information on who needs to obtain a business license.

Therefore, as identified by the Fresno Municipal Code, particular businesses will be required to have both business license/tax certificate(s) and specific permit(s) for those activities stipulated by the code.

Please note there are other agencies and/or departments within the City system as well as county, state and federal governments, that may have requirements for permits [example, conditional use permits] that are in addition to and/or need prior approval.

In order that the city maintain service commitments, it is important that you provide accurate and complete information on the application[s] you submit. Modified, or incomplete information may cause delays and/or stop us from complying with your requests to legally conduct business within the City of Fresno.

The City Manager is a position appointed by the Mayor and serves as the professional administrator for the City of Fresno to provide overall management and supervision, coordinating all day-to-day operations.

The City Manager appoints a professional staff to help manage the organization. This team is responsible for inter-governmental relations and administration of city business including managing budget resources, carrying out policy implementation, providing analysis and recommendations to aid in policy development, and overseeing the City's internal and external communications.

In addition the City Manager's Office handles special projects and provides leadership in the implementation of programs and policies, ensuring accountability, community responsiveness, and customer service excellence.

We are a team of dedicated public servants who care about the Fresno community and strive to serve with compassion, honesty, and respect.

The men and women of the Fresno Police Department are dedicated to serving our community with honesty, compassion, and respect as we keep our citizens safe. We do this by preventing citizens from becoming victims of crime or being injured in a traffic collision. This is our highest priority. We are also committed to providing excellent service in those areas that are valued most by our citizens. Above all else, we must maintain the trust of our community. This five letter word is the foundation of every law enforcement agency.

Trust is what gives our officers the authority to do their job and the legitimacy to police neighborhoods. This trust must be continually earned and should never be taken for granted.

A Foundation of Community Involvement

The Fresno Police Department strongly values its community partnerships, which include programs such as Crime Stoppers, “Bringing Broken Neighborhoods Back to Life,” Neighborhood Watch, Citizens On Patrol, our Citizens Police Academies, Chief's Advisory Board and the Youth Community Forums.

Fresno was founded by the Central Pacific Railroad Company in 1872. The location for the town was uninviting at best, with barren sand plains in all directions. Leland J. Stanford, a Director for the Railroad, is credited with selecting the site of the new station. On a scouting party in 1871 Stanford noticed a wheat field belonging to A.Y. Easterby, lush and green in the middle of the dry prairie. Stanford announced, “Wonderful! Here we must build the town!”

In 1875 the Central California Colony was established south of Fresno which set the model for a system of development that was used throughout the San Joaquin Valley. Tracts of land were subdivided into 20-40 acre parcels, irrigated from a system of canals and often landscaped with boulevards of palms, eucalyptus or other drought-resistant trees. By 1903 there were 48 separate colonies or tracts in Fresno County which drew farmers and their families from Scandinavia and from across the United States.

Fresno became the county seat in 1874 and was incorporated in 1885. By 1890 the population was over 10,000. The first streetcars were introduced in 1892 and streetcar suburbs soon followed. The area has had an ethnic mix from the earliest years with Chinese railroad workers and Scandinavian farmers joined by Germans from Russia, Japanese and Armenians and by the early 20th century a large Hispanic population. There are now more than 70 ethnic groups in the metropolitan area.

Fresno County is ranked first in the nation for agricultural production with annual sales in excess of $3 billion. Major crops include grapes, almonds, cotton, peaches and nectarines. Notable Fresnans include Maynard Dixon (artist), Audra McDonald (actress, singer), Barbara Morgan (astronaut) and William Saroyan (author).

For more information on the area's history see the Fresno Historical Society website and Architecture, Ethnicity and Historic Landscapes of California's San Joaquin Valley (City of Fresno, 2008).