U.S. and Mexican border mayors meet in Douglas

In a closed door meeting held at the City Douglas Visitors Center on Dec. 7, participating mayors, seven from Mexico and four from Cochise County, sought common ground on topics ranging from promoting tourism in Sonora, Mexico, and Cochise County to border crossings.

The group included Sierra Vista Mayor Rick Mueller, Jesus Armol Gallardo Jimenez alcalde de Naco, Sonora, Francisco Javier Tarazon Curlango alcalde de Cannea, Sonora, María Enedina Díaz González, alcaldesa de Bacoachi, Sonora, Douglas Mayor Danny Ortega Jr., Oscar Antonio De La Torre Douglas Mexican Consulate, Bisbee Mayor Adriana Zavala-Badal, Lic. Juan Edmundo López Durand Centro de Gobierno de Sonora, Agua Prieta Mayor Irma Villalobos Rascon Teran, Vidal Guadalupe Vasquez Chacon alcaldesa de Arizpe, Sonora, Tombstone Mayor Stephen Schmidt and Marco Antonio Montes Navarro, alcalde electo de Nacozari de García, Sonora.

“The most important thing is that we come together,” Mayor Zavala-Babal said. “We realized we have a lot in common in the region.”

This will mark the second meeting bringing these individuals together. The first meeting held on Oct. 29 brought five border mayors together.

“This meeting was more to get to know each other and to come together on a personal level,” said Mayor Ortega. “We are going to take the ideas from this meeting and expand on them in our next one.”

Other border mayors have come together in similar meetings in both Texas and California. Border mayors are beginning to consolidate themselves as an organization.

“They pointed out the fact that regional we are not doing economic strategic planning. To complement the communities on both sides of the border we need to sit down and figure out what our strengthens and weakness are,” Mayor Mueller said. “Where we can complement each other, and where we can help each other that will improve the entire region which will improve our economy.”

“We have to compete as a region,” Mayor Ortega added.

The next border mayor meeting will be held on Jan. 25 in Bisbee.