Please ensure Javascript is enabled for purposes of website accessibility
Fresno Council Candidates Divided on Tower Purchase, Housing Plans
gvw_david_taub
By David Taub, Senior Reporter
Published 2 years ago on
May 11, 2022

Share

 

The four candidates running for Fresno City Council District 1 have differing views on how government should operate, especially when it comes to purchasing the Tower Theatre.

Annalisa Perea, Cary Catalano, Mike Briggs and Jeremy Pries are running for the seat being vacated by termed-out councilwoman Esmeralda Soria. Ballots are now out and due back by June 7. If no candidate achieves 50% plus 1 of the vote, the top two will advance to the November general election.

GV Wire held an online debate on Tuesday to gauge where the candidates stood on important issues.

Watch the Debate

Candidates Differ on Tower Purchase

The Tower Theatre sits in District 1 and is the source of much controversy. Last month, the city council agreed to purchase the icon for $6.5 million and to absorb all legal costs. Adventure Church, which had rented the theater, is suing — arguing that it had a contract to make the purchase.

Catalano, a 48-year old public relations professional, said the city should have purchased the theater a long time ago.

“I believe we could have avoided significant conflict and division within the community. I do not agree with the indemnification. I think it puts the taxpayers at risk,” Catalano said.

Perea, a 34-year old urban planner and State Center Community College District trustee board, supports the move.

“It’s not the ideal scenario, but it is the best-case scenario for moving forward,” Perea said.

Both Preis and Briggs say the city should not have made the purchase.

“The city, in my opinion, shouldn’t have got involved, but rather got involved to find a buyer,” said Preis, a 49-year-old former Fresno police officer who is now an insurance agent. “I don’t really think that the city buying it is going to make or break the city, but I do think they got in a little too deep.”

Briggs, a 63-year-old real estate broker, lives blocks away.

“It’s none of the city’s business who buys and who controls the Tower Theatre as long as they follow the rules, the zoning rules, and the historical preservation rules,” Briggs said.

The Future of Fresno Housing

The candidates also differed on the future of housing in Fresno.

Perea called for a diverse plan to increase housing stock. That includes limiting the number of vacant homes which she said are safety hazards.

“I’m looking forward to seeing a combination of more infill development, more vertical building, because we can only go horizontal so much before we start running into more and more of our agricultural lands. And we do have to build more homes at every income level,” Perea said.

Briggs said the city needs to encourage more apartments and affordable housing. He advocates for down-payment assistance.

“The city could take monies, their investment funds and turn it into down payment assistance, which they would get back when the house sells eventually in the future. It’s a very safe way to invest funds and get funds back. It’s way safer than just building and giving homes away, which I do not believe in,” Briggs said.

Catalano, chairman of the Fresno County Housing Authority, called for a “blended portfolio.”

“Fifty percent of new housing construction would be an infill, 50% would be new growth areas. Priority growth area number one was west of (Highway) 99,” Catalano said.

He also advocated for inclusionary zoning, which would mandate that a portion of new residential tracts — typically 10% to 20% — be sold at below-market rates.

Preis wants to incentivize developers to build affordable housing.

“We need to look at places maybe where these homes are dilapidated and vacant in certain areas of town where we can rebuild on the properties, incentivize the owners, giving them tax incentives or even more incentives on income on the vacant land,” Preis said.

Perea and Catalano endorsed the creation of a community land trust. A trust would buy, rehabilitate and sell homes at affordable prices. It would also guarantee that the re-sale of those homes would be at affordable prices.

Perea: Ready to Be a First

The election of either Perea or Catalano would result in the first openly gay city councilmember in Fresno history.

“We would be shattering glass ceilings and hopefully get to a point where we no longer have to ask candidates about their sexual orientation during a debate. But until then, I have no problem being the first. I’ve been the first in many cases and different scenarios. You know, it’s a special thing because we’re trailblazers,” Perea said.

Perea hopes that more members of the LGBTQ community run for elected office.

Catalano talked about the “drastic shift in people’s attitudes” regarding gay candidates.

“It showcases just how far we’ve come as a country in terms of sexual orientation and preference,” Catalano said.

He told a brief story about his views being dismissed in City Hall discussions. Now, it is not an issue.

“I’ve always been very open about who I am, and it’s just nice to be comfortable living in a community where people really do embrace exactly who you are and love you for what you do and don’t judge you for who you love,” Catalano said.

Other Topics

During the one hour debate, the four candidates discussed:

— What they are looking for in a new city attorney. Current city attorney Douglas Sloan has accepted a new job in Santa Monica.

— Should the city purchase Trails End mobile home park and other troubled assets?

— How to make neighborhoods west of Highway 99 better.

— The state of bike lanes in District 1.

— Being transparent and responsive to constituent needs.

— Favorite District 1 restaurant.

— Giants or Dodgers?

RELATED TOPICS:

DON'T MISS

Cronenworth’s Big Hit Helps Lift the Padres to a 6-4 Win Over Melvin’s Giants

DON'T MISS

Shohei Ohtani Reaches 3 Times in Home Debut as the Dodgers Rout the Cardinals 7-1

DON'T MISS

Facebook News Tab Will Soon Be Unavailable as Meta Scales Back News and Political Content

DON'T MISS

Stock Market Today: Wall Street Rises to More Records to Close Out Its Latest Winning Month

DON'T MISS

A Fresno County First: Kerman Council Passes Amended Gaza Cease-Fire Resolution

DON'T MISS

UN Top Court Orders Israel to Open More Land Crossings for Aid into Gaza

DON'T MISS

How Involved Is Southern California Consulting Firm in FUSD Executive Dealings?

DON'T MISS

Biden’s Fundraiser with Obama and Clinton Nets a Record $25 Million, His Campaign Says

DON'T MISS

Fresno Unified’s Self-Protection Racket Is Hurting Our Kids

DON'T MISS

Rockin’ Out or Laughing, the Valley Has Its Pick of Weekend Events

No data was found
David Taub,
Senior Reporter
Curiosity drives David Taub. The award-winning journalist might be shy, but feels mighty with a recorder in his hand. He doesn't see it his job to "hold public officials accountable," but does see it to provide readers (and voters) the information needed to make intelligent choices. Taub has been honored with several writing awards from the California News Publishers Association. He's just happy to have his stories read. Joining GV Wire in 2016, Taub covers politics, government and elections, mainly in the Fresno/Clovis area. He also writes columns about local eateries (Appetite for Fresno), pro wrestling (Off the Bottom Rope), and media (Media Man). Prior to joining the online news source, Taub worked as a radio producer for KMJ and PowerTalk 96.7 in Fresno. He also worked as an assignment editor for KCOY-TV in Santa Maria, California, and KSEE-TV in Fresno. He has also worked behind the scenes for several sports broadcasts, including the NCAA basketball tournament, and the Super Bowl. When not spending time with his family, Taub loves to officially score Fresno Grizzlies games. Growing up in the San Francisco Bay Area, Taub is a die-hard Giants and 49ers fan. He graduated from the University of Michigan with dual degrees in communications and political science. Go Blue! You can contact David at 559-492-4037 or at Send an Email

Facebook News Tab Will Soon Be Unavailable as Meta Scales Back News and Political Content

14 hours ago

Stock Market Today: Wall Street Rises to More Records to Close Out Its Latest Winning Month

14 hours ago

A Fresno County First: Kerman Council Passes Amended Gaza Cease-Fire Resolution

14 hours ago

UN Top Court Orders Israel to Open More Land Crossings for Aid into Gaza

14 hours ago

How Involved Is Southern California Consulting Firm in FUSD Executive Dealings?

15 hours ago

Biden’s Fundraiser with Obama and Clinton Nets a Record $25 Million, His Campaign Says

15 hours ago

Fresno Unified’s Self-Protection Racket Is Hurting Our Kids

15 hours ago

Rockin’ Out or Laughing, the Valley Has Its Pick of Weekend Events

16 hours ago

Ex-Correctional Officer at Women’s Prison in California Sentenced for Sexually Abusing Inmates

18 hours ago

Caitlin Clark and Iowa Draw Nearly 5 Million Viewers for Second-Round NCAA Win

19 hours ago

PGA HOPE at Riverside Golf Course Introduces Military Veterans to the Game

PGA HOPE, now underway at Fresno’s Riverside Golf Course, is designed to introduce golf to veterans and active duty military members t...

12 hours ago

PGA HOPE at Fresno's Riverside Golf Course
12 hours ago

PGA HOPE at Riverside Golf Course Introduces Military Veterans to the Game

13 hours ago

Cronenworth’s Big Hit Helps Lift the Padres to a 6-4 Win Over Melvin’s Giants

14 hours ago

Shohei Ohtani Reaches 3 Times in Home Debut as the Dodgers Rout the Cardinals 7-1

14 hours ago

Facebook News Tab Will Soon Be Unavailable as Meta Scales Back News and Political Content

14 hours ago

Stock Market Today: Wall Street Rises to More Records to Close Out Its Latest Winning Month

14 hours ago

A Fresno County First: Kerman Council Passes Amended Gaza Cease-Fire Resolution

14 hours ago

UN Top Court Orders Israel to Open More Land Crossings for Aid into Gaza

15 hours ago

How Involved Is Southern California Consulting Firm in FUSD Executive Dealings?

MENU

CONNECT WITH US

Search

Send this to a friend