Maria Ramos named San Luis vice mayor
SAN LUIS, Ariz. — Maria Ramos figures she’s got some big shoes to fill as the newly appointed vice mayor of San Luis.
The two-term San Luis city councilwoman was recently named by the council to succeed Matias Rosales as vice mayor. The vice mayor serves as the acting mayor in the mayor’s absence and also represents the city in various public functions.
Noting that Rosales had been active as vice mayor in trying to attract new business and industry to San Luis, Ramos said she likewise plans to be “more aggressive” in her new post in promoting economic development.
“He set the bar high for me,” she said.
She said she also plans to continue in her efforts as a city official to lobby U.S. Customs and Border Protection to convert the San Luis II commercial port of entry for use by all motorists, not just tractor-trailers, as a shortterm measure to relieve congestion at the border.
While the San Luis mayor is elected by popular vote, the city council periodically chooses one of its members to serve on an alternating basis as vice mayor. The council at its July 12 meeting chose Ramos by 6-0 to succeed Rosales.
“I was very honored that Councilwoman Africa Luna Carrazco nominated me, that Councilwoman Gloria Torres seconded the nomination and that everyone voted to appoint me,” Ramos said. “It was a high honor.”
Rosales had served as vice mayor since 2013, and has been a proponent of youth sports programs in the city and making improvements to ports of entry in San Luis to ease the flow of traffic between the United States and Mexico. He remains as a member of city council.
“It has been an honor to serve the residents of San Luis as vice mayor,” he said in a statement. “I will continue working for the city of San Luis. I know that our new vice mayor is going to work hard and continue to move us forward.”
Ramos was elected to her first council term in 2012 and re-elected in 2016.
She represents the city as a member of the executive board of the Yuma Metropolitan Planning Organization, a transportation planning panel, and is president of the South Yuma County Coalition Against Domestic Violence, an organization raising funds for a shelter for victims of abuse from Somerton, San Luis and Gadsden.