Fresno Mayor Alan Autry invested a lot of energy trying to get celebrity developer Donald Trump to rescue the bankrupt Running Horse golf and luxury housing development in southwest Fresno. But when a city resident on Tuesday criticized Autry for getting too close to the billionaire developer, the mayor got mad.
During the commuity meeting at Fresno Art Museum, an irritated Autry raised his voice and said the focus shouldn't be on Trump, but on a neglected part of town, southwest Fresno, the location of the partially completed golf course.
Autry said later that his attempt to woo Trump into finishing the Running Horse golf course has become political fodder. “Just because he happens to have a TV show and famous hair, people have this knee-jerk reaction,” Autry said.
Autry said he continues to hear complaints about the city’s negotiations with Trump, even though they ended last month when Trump said he had given up on the project. Autry said he still hopes to attract Trump or any other developer who will finish the project.
--Brad Branan