Newly Appointed Indio Mayor Looks For Change

Indio native, Oscar Ortiz is now the mayor of his hometown.

Ortiz was appointed to serve another four-year term on the Indio City Council.

He grew up right here in the Coachella Valley, he’s an Indio High School alum… who went on to graduate with a bachelor’s degree in chemistry from Stanford University.

Ortiz says his work in pharmaceuticals is what initially sparked his interest in politics.

"I worked in pharmaceuticals. I worked in cannabis for a long time, and actually came to the city to talk about cannabis and see how we could bring new laws." Ortiz says.

He returned to the valley looking for change.

"We had a lot of patients here that couldn’t get service. So we realized that we needed to speak up more, just bring new ideas to the city. And that’s why I started getting more involved politically." Ortiz adds on why he initially got involved in politics.

Growing up in Indio, Ortiz’s family immigrated from Mexicali when he was just 3 years old… making the community his family, and now putting Indio’s residents first to make change.

"There’s a lot of people that helped me out here, that are helping us study these issues in our community, family, friends, teachers, you know, everybody’s kind of jumped in to help. So we’re all just kind of trying to figure out some of the toughest issues here for our city."

As his second term serving on Indio’s City council, and first time as mayor, this new position means continuing Indio’s infrastructural work and growth.

"I think right now… is making sure that we complete these projects in the best way possible. We’ve also seen a lot more growth in the past four years. So we’re working on making sure that we have the right infrastructure, we’re making sure that we have, you know, housing for all of our workforce, and looking out for displacement as well and trying to help with those issues now." Ortiz states.

But Mayor Ortiz is most excited to help bring life back into Indio’s downtown area, all to help Indio residents get best use out of their city.

"I’m just happy to be a representative here, happy to be a part of our community. This community has provided a lot of opportunities for me and my family. so it’s great to be able to give back and to be engaged with our community here."

Ortiz says he’s just enjoying his position as mayor and councilmember, he says he’s got the next four years to focus on helping the city.