Jerry Duncan promises solutions

City 'needs some fixes,' he says; plan targets downtown, safety.

Published online on Tuesday, Apr. 15, 2008

Jerry Duncan has been elected to the Fresno City Council twice but said he isn't running for mayor to become a career politician.

"I have no desire to go anywhere else," Duncan said. "But what Fresno needs now is solutions, not dialogue. The city needs some fixes, and I have solutions for those problems."

Duncan has earned a reputation during his time on the City Council for saying what's on his mind. He clashes frequently during council meetings with City Manager Andy Souza, and he has been both sharply critical and supportive of Mayor Alan Autry, depending on the issue.

"The 'new normal' they talk about at City Hall is the usual stupid," Duncan said, referring to a catch phrase of the Autry administration. "I decided to run for mayor because I became concerned that the efforts under way now would hit a roadblock and not move forward under some of the other candidates."

Duncan has also shown that he is able to rebound from mistakes.

In 2003, while the council was discussing the now-defunct Human Relations Commission, Duncan wrote an e-mail to a council assistant about the audience present for the debate. The e-mail read "If I had one dirty bomb ... I could eliminate all the liberals in Fresno at once."

After the e-mail became public, Duncan apologized. The next year he was re-elected by 1,500 votes in his north Fresno council District 6, which is heavily conservative.

Duncan said last week he isn't worried that the comment, intended as a private communication, will tarnish his image.

Tom Holyoke, an assistant professor of political science at California State University, Fresno, said Duncan's independence is part of what makes him a strong candidate.

"He is probably more typical of what people in Fresno want in a mayor," Holyoke said. "He has the organization, and a lot of people want to hear what he has to say. He's a formidable candidate."

Duncan said he has multi-point plans in place for downtown, growth and public safety issues.

His downtown plans include infrastructure repairs, relocation of homeless services, a new public safety headquarters building and a large farmers market to highlight local produce.

"I will make the changes at City Hall that will improve our prosperity so that when our children graduate they will not have to leave Fresno to find good jobs," Duncan said. "As a fiscal conservative with 25 years of successful real-life business experience and eight years as a Fresno City Council member, I am uniquely qualified to serve as the mayor of this great city."

Duncan said one of his main goals as mayor will be to expand the Police Department by 150 officers within four years. Duncan plans to fund the move by eliminating solar pool rebates and what he called unnecessary positions such as the deputy mayor. He also would use a zero-based budget system to cut unnecessary spending.

"Fresno is taking its place among the great cities of America," Duncan said. "With the right leadership, it will soon become a city known for its safety, livability and prosperity."