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Mayor Spotlight
Name, title & city/town
Danny Ortega, Mayor
Douglas, Arizona
Year elected: June 2012
Years served as Mayor: June 2012 - Present
Hometown: Douglas, Arizona
Why did you decide to serve in local government?
My family has been actively involved in Douglas since 1923 and having served on the school board for 12 years and the Lions Club for more than
20 years, I see the need for positive community involvement. I have become familiar with the strengths of our community and hope to maximize those,
as well as looking at our weaknesses and improving upon them.
What are the biggest challenges facing your town today?
The biggest challenge the city of Douglas is facing is the Douglas Port of Entry Expansion Project. We have been working with Mexican authorities
(local and federal in particular) which play a critical role in seeing this project become a reality. I look forward to the Port Expansion and working
towards the crossing visas being more accessible to Mexican national citizens. The city of Douglas is also working on the Downtown Revitalization Project,
beautifying old historic buildings, which will attract more visitors to this community.
What opportunities do you see for your community?
I have been working closely with councilmembers and staff in order to bring more employers and job opportunities to the Douglas community. To date, we have
seen many improvements on several city projects. However, we need to look at our assets and market those, as I feel our assets are our unrestricted airspace,
such as availability of our low cost land and water. We are also working to build stronger partnerships with Cochise College, Douglas Public Schools, the
Consulate of Mexico and Agua Prieta, Sonora, Mexico Officials.
What are you most proud of during your time in office?
I have been in office since June 13, 2012 and up to this date it has been a great experience. We have hired a new city manager that is familiar with the city
and its issues. I have been working towards new projects implementation to benefit the Douglas community. Having great staff producing balanced budgets and
having a hard working council certainly makes my job easier.
Why is the League important to cities and towns in Arizona?
The League of Arizona Cities and Towns is a great resource for all the cities in Arizona. It is a strong legislative voice for our city. It provides great
training opportunities for staff and for elected officials.
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League of Arizona Cities and Towns
1820 W. Washington St.
Phoenix, AZ 85007
Phone: 602-258-5786
Fax: 602-253-3874
http://www.azleague.org
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