Juan Antonio Jaramillo: proud to serve San Miguel, By Jesús Ibarra, Sept 8, 2006

Juan Antonio Jaramillo: proud to serve San Miguel
By Jesús Ibarra, Sept 8, 2006

Only days before the presentation of the annual government report of 2005-2006, Mayor Juan Antonio Jaramillo, who replaced now senator Luis Alberto Villarreal, spoke with Atención San Miguel about his six months as mayor—the challenges and successes of the office and his vision of the future.

In the living room of the spacious mayoral office in the City Hall, Mayor Jaramillo commented in a deep baritone voice that he is proud of having served the community, adding that he hopes to have fulfilled his position well.

JAJ: I’m a man who tries to be happy and is still looking to find himself.

JAJ: Very well. The community entrusted me to finish the current administration. I believe as we complete this cycle we have had good results for this period and for the entire 2003–2006 administration as well.

JAJ: I believe that the most important aspect for City Hall was that I have 10 years’ experience in public administration, working as the director of SAPASMA. Although SAPASMA belonged to a decentralized organization, as director I participated in local government decisions. Also my conciliatory personality may have influenced the decision to give me this responsibility.

ASM: When you assumed the position of mayor, did you find a warmer welcome in the city or in rural communities?

JAJ: They are two different worlds. The people in the rural communities have a very natural and unassuming manner and are honest and faithful. They have very specific necessities, which the local government can, for the greater part, solve with only a few resources. The problem is that there are so many communities and to attend the needs of all requires a lot of time.

ASM: Do you think you have accomplished what Luis Alberto Villarreal entrusted to you?

JAJ: I think I have. Although one is never prepared for such a responsibility, I think we are handing over good results. The county has social peace, and we have finished the programs we began. All the public works in process will be finished, and we have an economically responsible and strong administration.

JAJ: This period was full of challenges. The first was to defeat my own personal limitations, so that I could communicate with the citizenship; to motivate my staff so they could fulfill goals; to learn as quickly as possible about subjects that are not my specialty, such as public security, tourism, economic development, public services, and public works. I had to learn about all these subjects to accomplish our goals.

Suddenly I was the only one on city council who was new and had not been elected by public vote, so I had to adapt. There were many challenges; I hope to have fulfilled them all in the best way.

JAJ: To successfully manage resources— specifically the widening of El Caracol ringroad, the completion of the new General Hospital and federal resources from SEDESOL. Personally the widening of the ringroad gave me a lot of satisfaction as the first stage was completed during my term.

JAJ: The second stage of the ringroad project, a park in Colonia Insurgentes and a special industrial zone for making bricks, which will clear the zone around El Caracol of these small factories. They are issues that could not be addressed due to the brevity of my term, but the main executive projects are all completed.

JAJ: Yes, I will. I was given a special unpaid leave of absence by the Directive Council. When my term as acting mayor ends, I will return to SAPASMA as general director.

JAJ: No, I don’t think so. It is a difficult task. Political campaigns require financial resources, and the political regime changes every three years. Each election has its own circumstances. I do not see politics on my personal horizon. Serving as mayor was something I felt I needed to do.

JAJ: A lot of things. Streets in some of the poorer colonias and roads in rural communities need to be paved. More programs for low-income housing need to be established; construction would also bring more jobs. San Miguel needs to attract environmentally friendly companies that would also supply more jobs. The development of low-cost housing is lagging. Now, the Local Institute for Housing has been created to promote the development of low-cost housing.

JAJ: Some things that were not done include the regulation of public transport and promotion of industries not reliant on tourism. I believe that some aspects of the internal administration of the local government need some attention, such as salaries, a program of incentives for productivity, and the implementation of voluntary wage withholdings as an employment benefit.

JAJ: I believe that everything that was done was accomplished with great enthusiasm, but perhaps there was a lack of money and time. This administration was a paradigm, demonstrating that things could be changed, but some needed changes perhaps went unnoticed.

JAJ: Highlighting the value of San Miguel de Allende as a historical, cultural and tourist location as well as a place where people can live comfortably.

ASM: What do you think that San Miguel needs so that all people—students, the elderly, workers and professionals—may live their lives in San Miguel without having to leave the city?

JAJ: That is a good question. I believe that we need a good university or a good university extension and well-paying jobs, mainly in tourism, real estate, high technology and environmentally friendly industry.

JAJ: I believe it is a test for Mexican democracy. I have been a member of a political party for 15 years, and during that time the opposition parties proposed modifying the electoral law so that votes would be counted by citizens, even though there was a risk of counting errors. We did replace the professional service for counting votes and gave the people the responsibility of tallying votes. It was a good move, but now some people are using the defects this model may have to invalidate the election. Legality must be primary. At this point there is not any evidence that would make us think there has been misconduct in the counting of votes.

ASM: If you were a member of the TRIFE (Federal Electoral Tribunal), what solution would you propose to solve the problem created by the refutations of the elections made by PRD?

JAJ: The solutions established by law. Refutations are included in the law, and they must obey them.

ASM: What do you think of Felipe Calderón as the possible future president of Mexico?

JAJ: If he wins the presidency of Mexico, he will have a lot of work to do to reconcile all Mexicans and to advance a coalition government that introduces structural changes in the country.

ASM: Do you think that the growth of San Miguel is well planned? Do you think that the water supply is adequate?

JAJ: San Miguel’s growth is still moderate. We grow an average of 3 or 4 percent per year, which is in line with the national average. The water supply is adequate for this rate of growth. What we need is better distribution, such as the project that is being developed to apportion water evenly among wells.

ASM: What do you thing of the migration of Mexicans to the United States, and what kind of solution is needed?

JAJ: Mexican migration to the States is mainly an economic issue, but it is also a matter of tradition. A search for increased comfort leads youth to go to the United States in search of opportunities while living with their relatives who are already there. The solution is to find an agreement that is convenient for both countries and, on the other hand, to foster the proper conditions to increase productive activity in Mexico so that Mexicans can find here what they are looking for on the other side. Migration for economic reasons is a world phenomenon, but with the proper conditions, countries that produce a high number of migrants may become countries to which people migrate, as has happened in Spain.

JAJ: We are a city where security is perceived to be good. The case of the serial rapist was sui generis and was solved quite quickly in comparison with other similar cases. Security is quite good, but some improvements have to be made, such as better training for local police and more participation by citizens.

JAJ: No, not at all. The foreign community, not only the Americans, has been part of San Miguel for almost 40 years. On the contrary, they are an economic engine for the city. Their contributions to culture, art, society and the economy are invaluable.

JAJ: No, I don’t think so. Sanmiguelenses have grown used to foreigners. As Mexicans, it would be intolerable to be discriminated against in our own country, but this has not happened in San Miguel.

ASM: Do you think the sanmiguelenses are satisfied with your performance as mayor?

JAJ: Well, only they can tell that. I can only say that I did my best, as a person and as a professional.

JAJ: That it was an honor to serve them. It is a source of pride that I carry with me. This period as mayor leaves me with the satisfaction of having served the citizenship. I could never repay this distinction.