“We need to take advantage of the boom,” said Hugo Torres, who also owns the Rosarito Beach Hotel. “We need to improve services to tourists and also in the hills, so people in town see a direct benefit from development.”

Torres, who was the candidate for the Institutional Revolutionary Party, gave the PRI its only clear-cut mayoral win in Sunday's election, which included five municipal races. The final vote tallies haven't been released, but Torres' opponent, former police Chief Ignacio García, has conceded defeat.

Torres, 70, was active in the incorporation movement when Rosarito was still part of Tijuana. In 1995, he and and six other people were appointed by the state to serve as a transitional council, and Torres served as the city's first unelected mayor.

Though he's aligned with the PRI, Torres said he has learned to work with other political groups under National Action Party, or PAN, state administrations.

Torres left public office 10 years ago to focus on his business. He said he decided to get involved in government again after seeing a decrease in tourism and an increase in social problems, including drug addiction.

Corrupt police are scaring off tourists as well as potential buyers for the beachfront condominiums, he said.

“We have to change the atmosphere and have a culture of good attitudes towards tourists,” he said. He proposes restricting police to assigned districts, so they can't go to the tourist areas to shake down people. He also advocates establishing a tourism police branch and an ombudsman to handle tourist complaints against the police. He would like to keep the city's visitors' and convention bureau open longer hours on the weekend to assist tourists who run into problems.

Torres also wants to tackle corruption from a different angle, by giving police officers better life insurance and pensions and raising their salaries from about $800 to $1,500 a month.

Rosarito Beach has grown rapidly in recent years and now has a population of 130,000, including an estimated 15,000 U.S. citizens. That number is expected to increase as more beachfront condominiums are built.

About 25 developers are currently working on projects in the city, Torres said. About 6,000 condominium spaces have been finished in recent years, and 6,000 more are under construction.

To help pay for the improvements he envisions, Torres wants condo developers to pay an additional fee – $50,000 to $80,000 per project – to help upgrade public service facilities, such as roads near condominium and tourist areas. Part of the money also would be earmarked for rural communities.

Though the fee, which requires city council approval, would only be levied on new projects, he hopes developers with projects already under way will participate voluntarily.

Torres said he had investments in some of the condominium projects but sold his shares two years ago. He said his only project now is a 271-unit condo development that's part of his Rosarito Beach Hotel complex. Although that project is already under way, he said he would voluntarily pay the fee to encourage other developers to follow his example.

Written by Anna Cearley: (619) 542-4595; This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it

Originally posted on signonsandiego.com August 10, 2007 

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