San Luis candidate profile:Concha says city must keep up with rapid growth

Editor's note: Four candidates for San Luis city council are profiled below. Similar profiles of the remaining four candidates will appear in Monday's edition of The Sun.

SAN LUIS, Ariz. - Having seen this border city's rapid growth over the past 10 years, Dolores "Lolita" Concha says she understands its needs.

'I matured here in San Luis with the city, so I know its necessities,' Concha said.

For more than eight years, she said, people have been complaining about the quality of the water. If elected in Tuesday's primary election, Concha said as a city council member she would work to upgrade water quality.

Concha is one of six candidates running for three seats. One other seat is being contested by two candiates in a recall election that will appear on the same ballot.

Concha, who previously served on the council before being ousted in a recall in 2001, said as the city continues to grow, it will have to offer its residents a still-higher quality of life and family-oriented environment.

But Concha said although San Luis has been and remains a good place to live, a number of things must be done to meet the needs of the growing city, such as water quality improvement and creating more jobs.

Also, she said, the city needs youth activities.

'With the growth comes a better way of living because you have more jobs and better opportunities,' Concha said. 'And that calls for programs and more families. When they see programs, people want to live there. They don't want to live in a city that is not going anywhere.'

Concha, 56, was born in Guadalajara in Mexico's Jalisco state, and is the youngest of 17 children.

Concha started a restaurant in San Luis since she had experience in the kitchen growing up. She later closed it after her children grew up. Now she has a furniture store where she also makes custom decorating blinds for homes.

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Jacob Lopez can be reached at jlopez@yumasun.com or 539-6872.