Known for its colonial architecture, tequila industry, and mariachis, the State of Jalisco, Mexico, is rapidly becoming fertile ground for investors as the “Silicon Valley of the South.” Municipalities in the State of Arizona have been providing assistance to Mexican cities through ICMA and other organizations for years. Their participation in the International Resource Cities Program is a formal recognition of that assistance.
In January 1998, the state government of Jalisco hosted a competition for cities in the state that wished to participate in the Resource Cities Program. ICMA evaluated the cities according to a series of criteria—leadership, management, vision, staff experience, organization, systematic thinking, community, infrastructure, finances, economy, citizen participation, and the absence of significant barriers to success—and six cities were selected to participate in the program. The six Jalisco cities include Zapotlan el Grande (pop. 90,000), Ocotlan (pop. 80,000), Lagos de Moreno (pop. 130,000), Zapotlanejo (pop. 40,000), Sayula (pop. 30,000), and San Juan de los Lagos (pop. 55,000).
In this unique relationship, ICMA created a “consortium” of Arizona cities to collaboratively participate in the program. Twelve local governments in Arizona were selected to provide technical assistance to cities in Jalisco, based on the expressed needs of the Jalisco cities. In this manner, several smaller Arizona cities, which might not have the resources for a partnership on their own, could participate in the program as part of a team.
The following Arizona jurisdictions were selected for the program: City of Avondale, City of Chandler, Town of Gilbert, City of Goodyear, Pinal County, City of Scottsdale, City of Tolleson, City of Bullhead, City of Glendale, City of Phoenix, City of Tempe, and City of Yuma. The Arizona cities range in population from Tolleson with 4,400 citizens to Phoenix with a population of 1,150,000.
In the summer of 1998, ICMA and the Arizona cities participated in a needs assessment of the participating cities in Jalisco. While each city was unique, some problems were common among several cities. The Arizona cities provided assistance in the area of administration and finance, solid waste management, water and wastewater management, community-oriented public safety, and citizen participation. The relationships forged among the US and Mexican teams of cities were expected to further the goal of regional cooperation and help the Jalisco cities harness their potential to the fullest extent possible.