Boyajian plans mayoral run
Ex-Fresno council member unveils agenda
By Matt Leedy / The Fresno Bee
09/27/07 23:44:30
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Former Fresno City Council Member Tom Boyajian wants to return to City
Hall — this time as mayor.

He will formally announce that he’s running for mayor this evening at
his Tower District home. Boyajian, 62, confirmed Thursday that he will
become the third mayoral candidate in the race, joining current Fresno
City Council Members Jerry Duncan and Mike Dages.

Boyajian, a private attorney, represented west-central Fresno on the
council for eight years before being termed out in January. He gained
widespread popularity in his district by frequently visiting
neighborhoods and working to repave streets, fix sidewalks and cover
up graffiti.

Mayor Alan Autry terms out of office in about 15 months. And there
will likely be a crowded June ballot of candidates hoping to replace
him. If no one wins more than 50% of the vote, the top two
vote-getters will meet in a November 2008 runoff.

Among those considering joining the mayoral race are Council Members
Henry T. Perea and Larry Westerlund and Ashley Swearengin, chief
operating officer for the Regional Jobs Initiative, which works to
improve the local economy.

During Boyajian’s two terms on council, and especially in his last two
years, he often voted against the majority of his council
colleagues. He was the only council member, for example, to oppose a
plan last year to beef up the Fire Department using a $10.8 million
budget surplus.

However, he joined council colleagues in a unanimous vote in 2003 to
fine owners of dilapidated, vacant buildings that contribute to
neighborhood blight. He also pushed to have a grant writer hired for
the Public Works Department.

If elected mayor, Boyajian said, he would try to streamline the city’s
permitting process, making it easier for businesses to get started and
expand. Duncan made the same campaign promise when he announced his
candidacy Wednesday.

Boyajian also said he would improve morale in City Hall by hiring more
competent and passionate managers.

Improving the Valley’s air quality also will be on Boyajian’s campaign
platform. He wants to direct more of Fresno’s residential and retail
growth to the city’s core and discourage urban sprawl. The goal, he
said, is to cut down the amount of time Fresnans drive
pollution-producing cars.

For the same reason, Boyajian said he’ll push plans to have a
high-speed bullet train in California that stops in Fresno.

The reporter can be reached at mleedy@fresnobee.com or (559) 441-6208.

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