For the first time in its 482-year history, Guadalajara has a female mayor (presidente municipal). Verónica Delgadillo, 41, was sworn in on Monday, September 30, along with other mayors in the rest of the Guadalajara metropolitan area, as well as municipalities across Jalisco (see Chapala on page 11).
Delgadillo praised the 255 female mayors who have served Jalisco prior to her election. These women, she said, “broke the historical barriers,” laying the ground to her election in the state’s second largest (after Zapopan) but arguably most important municipality.
A former federal legislator and senator, Delgadillo pledged to attend immediately to the most pressing issues concerning Tapatios. Chief among these, she said, will be taking back control of the municipality’s waste management program by developing a strategy that reduces the reliance on private sector participation. The current model, run by a private concessionaire, has been heavily criticized, with frequent episodes of garbage piling up on the streets, sometimes left for weeks without collecton.
Delgadillo said she is committed to improving the quality of municipal services and creating more inclusive public spaces, with the aim of making communities safer. Additionally, she emphasized the importance of fostering trust by strengthening engagement between municipal police officers and the communities they serve.