Only time will tell how Javier Degollado will go down in history. He may be remembered as a local hero, or a despised villain, or perhaps forgotten altogether as brighter stars shine in the political firmament.

He certainly came into office with big ideas, determined to “rescue and transform” a lackluster tourist destination. Well, no doubt there have been many mass events that have brought droves of visitors to town, but is the community all that much better off than three years ago?

I guess the man should get some credit for pimping up central plazas in San Antonio, San Nicolás and Atotonilquillo and turning Chapala’s Calle Morelos into a functional, decent looking secondary artery. But some projects haven´t been completed and others were left to gather dust.   

Remember the grandiose plan for Chapala Adventure Park?  We got some minor refurbishments of the Parque la Cristiania, but no roller coasters, no bungee jumps, no botanical gardens, no lake museum came to fruition as laid out in the original scheme.

Ajijic’s new sports complex and the ciclovía cycling path aren´t even close to what they were cracked up to be.  Meanwhile, the village streets have gone to hell.

The biggest boondoggle of all was the highly touted waterfront Foro Internacional, otherwise known as the “Bridge to Jesus.”  I needn’t go into detail. Just look at the architectural rendering appearing here, compared to the messy, unfinished appendage sticking out of the boardwalk today.

It’s too soon to fathom just how deep a financial hole the current administration has dug. At this point it looks pretty grim.   

But our out-going mayor isn’t all that different from the men who preceded him, nor women and men who will soon relinquish top posts in other communities across state and the nation.

Each of the mayors I’ve seen pass through the City Hall turnstile over four decades has left some sort of mark, for better or worse. There was one who raised the lanes of Paseo Ramon Corona, assuring a secure pathway to his family restaurant during the years the street was repeatedly inundated by Lake Chapala flood waters.

Another one took flack from a prominent Mexican diva for tearing down the kiosk at the center of the Chapala plaza to build an acoustic shell as a concert venue. The new structure was soon demolished and replaced with the bandstand that still stands today.

There was the hard-nosed mayor who cleared unsightly street commerce from the main avenue and waterfront malecón. Those who came later allowed vendors and filth to reinvade the heart of the city.

Local government chiefs have built new schools, raising the prospects of future generations. Many also created fairly useless monuments to their egos. A few are remembered by their constituents with deep affection. Some are reviled for poor leadership and acts of corruption. Future generations will decide on the lasting legacy of each one.

For the moment, I’m itching to find out how things will shake out when four former mayors are seated together at the round table of the next administration.