Nogales council appoints five people to Appeals Commission to fill vacancies

The Nogales Mayor and City Council on Feb. 11 nominated and voted to appoint five candidates to the Appeals Commission: Manny Trujillo, Sandra Corey, Octavio Gradias, Daniel Arana and Guillermo Valencia.

Councilmember Goff nominated several candidates and described Manny Trujillo as having extensive supervisory experience, calling him "very fair minded" and suited to the board. Councilmembers discussed current membership and noted that the commission requires seven members; four seats are currently filled and several terms expire later in the year, so appointing a larger candidate pool provides continuity when vacancies occur.

Council members confirmed nominees had accepted or were likely to accept appointments, and HR/department staff were tasked with meeting the new and existing members to refresh required training. "We can have alternates, which is fine," one official said, noting the benefit of a pool of nominees if someone declines after nomination.

After a motion to nominate the five candidates and a second, councilmembers voted in favor and the mayor declared the motion passed. Council directed staff to proceed with onboarding and training for the new appointees and to confirm any nominees who had not yet formally accepted.

At the meeting the mayor also noted term expirations for sitting commissioners, with at least two terms coming due May 31, 2026; the appointments were intended to ensure the commission remains fully staffed through the forthcoming turnover.