Politics
Autry was elected Mayor of Fresno, California in November 2000 by defeating former mayor Dan Whitehurst. He succeeded Jim Patterson. Mr. Autry's first term was from January 2001 to January 2005. He was re-elected on March 2, 2004 with over 72 percent of the vote. He is a Republican. His second term was from January 2005 to January 2009. He was not eligible to run for re-election again, since elected officials in Fresno are limited to two 4-year terms. In November 2008 he endorsed Ashley Swearingin to replace him as Mayor.
During his time as Mayor of Fresno, Autry was a strong supporter of initiatives to ban gay marriage, and at least twice appeared at a large rally on the city hall steps where he issued impassioned pleas in support of his position. In October, 2008, he appeared alongside the Rev. Jim Franklin of Cornerstone Church, to oppose gay marriage and support Prop 8, the California same-sex marriage ban. Opponents of Prop 8 gathered at city hall to protest his actions. Ironically, Mr. Autry played a gay character on the television show Cheers. Of course, this was simply a character he played for a paycheck, and in no way reflected his personal beliefs.
Mr. Autry worked to maintain a balanced city budget, and during his last term as mayor (2008) the City of Fresno had an $18 million reserve along with its balanced budget, did not require job layoffs, and was the only major city in California to accomplish this. However, Autry was later blamed for several boondoggle budget decisions that by 2010 would leave the City of Fresno on the brink of bankruptcy including the failed Granite Park project and busted loans to the City's failed museum. However, politics and bureaucracy from Autry's political opponents can also be blamed for the Parks slow rise.
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