Debbie Jaramillo
Encyclopedia
Debbie Jaramillo was mayor
of Santa Fe, New Mexico
from 1994 to 1998.
Jaramillo was elected mayor after serving six years on the city council
. She was Santa Fe's first female mayor. As a city councilor she had expressed concern about the gentrification
of Santa Fe, which was forcing the primarily Hispanic
local population to move out of its historical neighborhoods: "We painted our downtown brown and moved the brown people out", she said in 1991. She ran on a platform promising to place the interests of local residents above those of Santa Fe's booming tourist industry, in contrast to the more pro-development policies of the incumbent mayor, Sam Pick. Her campaign slogans included "Take back Santa Fe!", and in her victory speech she said, "This town is not for sale. It belongs to the community."
Jaramillo had previously run against Pick for mayor, unsuccessfully, and her 1994 election was viewed as something of an upset, since she had been outspent by her opponents and she had trailed in pre-election polls.
Jaramillo's administration was marked by controversy. She pushed through a plan for the city, assisted by The Trust for Public Land
, to acquire the 50 acres (202,343 m²) Santa Fe Railyard
property and begin its conversion into a public mixed-use development.
A new police chief
, Donald Grady 2d, was hired in an effort to modernize and bring a community policing philosophy to the Santa Fe Police Department, whose previous chief had been a target of Jaramillo's criticism. However, Grady's efforts met strong opposition and he resigned in 1996. Grady was replaced by Jaramillo's brother-in-law. Since Jaramillo's brother, Ike Pino, was already the city manager
, this appointment led to charges of nepotism, although Jaramillo defended her relatives, pointing out that Santa Fe had "always been a community that was related to one another." Shortly thereafter, Pino was removed from his city manager position by the city council.
In 1998, Jaramillo lost her re-election bid by a decisive margin. The winner, Larry Delgado
, was viewed as taking a centrist position between the anti-development policies of Jaramillo and the pro-development policies of Sam Pick, who was also running for mayor again. Jaramillo received 11% of the vote, behind Delgado's 44% and Pick's 32%.
In 1999, Christine Marie Sierra, a political science
professor at the University of New Mexico
, produced a documentary about Jaramillo's election, entitled This Town Is Not For Sale!: The 1994 Santa Fe Mayoral Election.
Mayor
In many countries, a Mayor is the highest ranking officer in the municipal government of a town or a large urban city....
of Santa Fe, New Mexico
Santa Fe, New Mexico
Santa Fe is the capital of the U.S. state of New Mexico. It is the fourth-largest city in the state and is the seat of . Santa Fe had a population of 67,947 in the 2010 census...
from 1994 to 1998.
Jaramillo was elected mayor after serving six years on the city council
City council
A city council or town council is the legislative body that governs a city, town, municipality or local government area.-Australia & NZ:Because of the differences in legislation between the States, the exact definition of a City Council varies...
. She was Santa Fe's first female mayor. As a city councilor she had expressed concern about the gentrification
Gentrification
Gentrification and urban gentrification refer to the changes that result when wealthier people acquire or rent property in low income and working class communities. Urban gentrification is associated with movement. Consequent to gentrification, the average income increases and average family size...
of Santa Fe, which was forcing the primarily Hispanic
Hispanic and Latino Americans
Hispanic or Latino Americans are Americans with origins in the Hispanic countries of Latin America or in Spain, and in general all persons in the United States who self-identify as Hispanic or Latino.1990 Census of Population and Housing: A self-designated classification for people whose origins...
local population to move out of its historical neighborhoods: "We painted our downtown brown and moved the brown people out", she said in 1991. She ran on a platform promising to place the interests of local residents above those of Santa Fe's booming tourist industry, in contrast to the more pro-development policies of the incumbent mayor, Sam Pick. Her campaign slogans included "Take back Santa Fe!", and in her victory speech she said, "This town is not for sale. It belongs to the community."
Jaramillo had previously run against Pick for mayor, unsuccessfully, and her 1994 election was viewed as something of an upset, since she had been outspent by her opponents and she had trailed in pre-election polls.
Jaramillo's administration was marked by controversy. She pushed through a plan for the city, assisted by The Trust for Public Land
The Trust for Public Land
The Trust for Public Land is a land conservation nonprofit founded in 1972 by Huey Johnson and based in San Francisco, California in the United States. TPL works throughout the United States to conserve land for people as parks, gardens, and other natural places.- TPL Conservation Initiatives :TPL...
, to acquire the 50 acres (202,343 m²) Santa Fe Railyard
Santa Fe Depot (Rail Runner station)
Santa Fe Depot is the northern terminus of the New Mexico Rail Runner Express commuter rail line. The station also serves as the northern terminus, offices, and gift shop of the Santa Fe Southern Railway, a tourist and freight carrying short line railroad. It is located in Santa Fe, New Mexico at...
property and begin its conversion into a public mixed-use development.
A new police chief
Chief of police
A Chief of Police is the title typically given to the top official in the chain of command of a police department, particularly in North America. Alternate titles for this position include Commissioner, Superintendent, and Chief constable...
, Donald Grady 2d, was hired in an effort to modernize and bring a community policing philosophy to the Santa Fe Police Department, whose previous chief had been a target of Jaramillo's criticism. However, Grady's efforts met strong opposition and he resigned in 1996. Grady was replaced by Jaramillo's brother-in-law. Since Jaramillo's brother, Ike Pino, was already the city manager
City manager
A city manager is an official appointed as the administrative manager of a city, in a council-manager form of city government. Local officials serving in this position are sometimes referred to as the chief executive officer or chief administrative officer in some municipalities...
, this appointment led to charges of nepotism, although Jaramillo defended her relatives, pointing out that Santa Fe had "always been a community that was related to one another." Shortly thereafter, Pino was removed from his city manager position by the city council.
In 1998, Jaramillo lost her re-election bid by a decisive margin. The winner, Larry Delgado
Larry Delgado
Larry Delgado was elected mayor of Santa Fe, New Mexico after serving two terms on the Santa Fe City Council from 1990 to 1998. He was elected mayor of Santa Fe in 1998 after defeating mayor Debbie Jaramillo and former mayor Sam Pick. In that election, he was viewed as taking a centrist position...
, was viewed as taking a centrist position between the anti-development policies of Jaramillo and the pro-development policies of Sam Pick, who was also running for mayor again. Jaramillo received 11% of the vote, behind Delgado's 44% and Pick's 32%.
In 1999, Christine Marie Sierra, a political science
Political science
Political Science is a social science discipline concerned with the study of the state, government and politics. Aristotle defined it as the study of the state. It deals extensively with the theory and practice of politics, and the analysis of political systems and political behavior...
professor at the University of New Mexico
University of New Mexico
The University of New Mexico at Albuquerque is a public research university located in Albuquerque, New Mexico, in the United States. It is the state's flagship research institution...
, produced a documentary about Jaramillo's election, entitled This Town Is Not For Sale!: The 1994 Santa Fe Mayoral Election.