Tourism, education and City Hall politics were popular topics Wednesday as the candidates for mayor of Fresno offered their views at a debate hosted by the Central California Hispanic Chamber of Commerce.

The debate featured Ashley Swearengin, director of community and economic development at California State University; council members Mike Dages and Henry T. Perea; former council member Tom Boyajian; Fresno Deputy Mayor Jeff Eben and business owner Jim Boswell.

Council Member Jerry Duncan, who has also announced a campaign for mayor, was invited but did not attend because of a death in his family. Debate moderator and KSEE 24 television news anchor Rich Rodriguez read a statement from Duncan at the beginning of the debate, which aired live on the Internet.

All seven are running to replace Mayor Alan Autry, who cannot seek re-election because of term limits. The election is June 3. If no candidate wins a clear majority, the top two vote-getters will face off in November.

The format for the debate allowed members of the chamber to submit questions for the candidates, and each candidate was given two minutes to answer.

Swearengin said Fresno has grown into the state's sixth-largest city, but needs to make improvements.

"We've gotten bigger, but it's time for Fresno to get better," she said. "We have an obligation to reach out to other parts of the Valley, and work together to make sure our voice is heard."

The second question dealt with how city officials handled negotiations with Donald Trump on the Running Horse golf and luxury housing project in southwest Fresno. Perea said he had heard criticisms that the city experienced "Trumpmania."

"People said it was disgraceful that the city or council failed to lure Trump, but it was a 7-0 vote to make the deal work," Perea said. "We did everything we could, but I don't believe we should invest $8 to $10 million in a billionaire's project just to benefit the billionaire."

Chamber members asked how the candidates would explain Fresno State's courtroom losses over women's athletics to a stranger. Boswell said there are still good things to say about the university.

"I don't believe that as a city we should say the entire school is terrible," Boswell said. "There are great students, and great athletes, coming out of the school each year."

On tourism, Boyajian said the city needs to work with state transportation officials to beautify the entryway into Fresno.

"We're not a very pretty city to drive through," Boyajian said. "We also need to find a unifying theme to draw people here. Gilroy has a garlic festival. What does Fresno have? We need to find our theme."

The fifth question dealt with affordable housing concerns and rising foreclosures. Dages said Fresno was building more housing to address the problem.

"Earlier someone said we needed to get it done, and I'm proud to say that's what I think I'm doing on the council," Dages said. "Lots of affordable housing is being built. I can say I've produced."

The last question asked how the candidates would transform Fresno into a world-class city. Eben said he believed Fresno was already great but had room to improve.

"We need a vibrant and revitalized downtown," Eben said. "We need to highlight our rich cultural diversity and make Fulton Mall a cultural hotbed of entertainment."

After the debate, chamber members said they thought each of the candidates performed well.

"I was happy with a lot of what I heard," said Carl Gonzales. "They all said they have a commitment to downtown and want to use existing buildings instead of building a $65 million river. I thought they were all cool under fire as well."

The reporter can be reached at dboyles@fresnobee.com or (559) 441-6659.

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