Mayors in Puerto Rico

Mayor
Style The Honorable
Term length 4 years
Formation several laws that were repealed in favor of the Autonomous Municipalities Act of 1991
This article is part of a series on the
politics and government of
Puerto Rico

The mayors of Puerto Rico encompass the different mayors of the municipalities of Puerto Rico; each mayor being the highest-ranking officer of its corresponding municipality. Several laws existed that created the post of mayor in each municipality but they were all repealed in favor of a broad and encompassing law known as the Autonomous Municipalities Act of 1991.[1]

The mayors do not constitute a body, and are not required by law to do so,[1] but they have voluntarily assembled into two organizations:

Each mayor is also the commander-in-chief of its corresponding municipal police.[6]

Background

Historically mayors used to be minor political figures in the Puerto Rican landscape as the executive branch of the government of Puerto Rico exerted an overarching authority over the municipalities.[7][8] However, in recent years, the executive branch has adopted a decentralized form of government and started to focus on statewide politics rather than on local or regional ones.[7][8] These policies have granted a high degree of autonomy to its municipalities and their mayors,[7][9] and has allowed certain highly populated municipalities with robust local economies such as Caguas[10] and San Juan[11] to prosper and exercise a high degree of autonomy, while leaving others with mild or little population such as Florida[12] and Moca[13] with challenges to overcome. Nevertheless, these policies have made mayors highly influential on the local, regional, and statewide economy of Puerto Rico, as well as in its politics and society.[14] An example of this would be the Willie Tax which was implemented independently in Caguas by its former mayor, William Miranda Marín.[15][16] The tax was subsequently adopted by other municipalities and eventually evolved into the statewide sales tax known as the Puerto Rico Sales and Use Tax (IVU).[17][18]

Today, mayors have become strong political stewardesses[19][20] and anchors for other politicians seeking support from the citizens living in their municipalities.[21] It has also become increasingly common to involve and discuss political matters with the mayors, their assemblies, and the organizations to which they belong to, before implementing public policies, and approving or vetoing bills.[22][23] Both the mayors and the central government of Puerto Rico, including the Governor and the Legislative Assembly, have been able to work in unison and symbiotically to up bring Puerto Rico and its municipalities.[9][22][24]

Duties and powers

Mayors in Puerto Rico have the following duties:

Requirements

The law states the following requirements to be a mayor in Puerto Rico. The candidate must:[25]

Removal from office

According to an amend signed in 2006, a mayor in Puerto Rico can be removed from office for the following reasons:[26]

To determine the latter, any person can present charges against a mayor in front of a committee, which will then evaluate them and submit a verdict.

Election

Like most political positions in Puerto Rico, mayors are elected every four years in a general election. Voters registered as residents of each municipality vote for their respective mayors. As of now, there is no limit in terms for mayors.

Mayors 2013–2017

There are currently 47 mayors affiliated with the Popular Democratic Party (PPD), while the remaining 31 are affiliated with the New Progressive Party (PNP). The longest tenured mayor in the island is the mayor of Manatí, Juan Aubín Cruz Manzano. Cruz has been serving as mayor since being elected at the 1976 general election. The current term ends in January 2017, following the 2016 general election.

References

  1. 1 2 Law No. 81 of 1991
  2. "Hon. Pedro R. Pierluisi | Puerto Rico". Pierluisi.house.gov. Retrieved 2012-11-30.
  3. "2009 DTS 102 ASOCIACION DE ALCALDES V. EL CONTRALOR DE P.R. 2009TSPR102 Jurisprudencia del Tribunal Supremo de P.R. de 2009". Lexjuris.com. Retrieved 2012-11-30.
  4. "Home - El Nuevo Día". Elnuevodia.com. Retrieved 2012-11-30.
  5. Vocero.com. "FederaciĂłn de Alcaldes celebra su tercera convenciĂłn – Vocero de Puerto Rico". Vocero.com. Retrieved 2012-11-30.
  6. "LEX2000". Lexjuris.com. Retrieved 2012-11-30.
  7. 1 2 3 http://derechoupr.com/dmdocuments/Universidad%20Interamericana%20de%20Puerto%20Rico.pdf
  8. 1 2 http://www.oslpr.org/files/docs/{E9DEDF79-1CCF-4AE4-9960-A324AC3CA27A}.doc
  9. 1 2 "LEXRCS2007104 Enmienda Constitucional para elevar a Rango Constitucional la Autonomía Municipal". Lexjuris.com. Retrieved 2012-11-30.
  10. "Municipio Caguas recibe premio nacional por excelencia en finanzas". Elperiodicopr.com. 2012-10-18. Retrieved 2012-11-30.
  11. http://www.ocpr.gov.pr/map/Municipios/SanJuan.pdf
  12. http://www.ocpr.gov.pr/map/Municipios/Florida.pdf
  13. http://www.ocpr.gov.pr/map/Municipios/Moca.pdf
  14. "Los alcaldes más poderosos - El Nuevo Día". Elnuevodia.com. 2012-11-15. Retrieved 2012-11-30.
  15. Casiano Communications (2011-07-12). "Remembering Willie Miranda Marín - Caribbean Business". Caribbeanbusinesspr.com. Retrieved 2012-11-30.
  16. http://webs.oss.cayey.upr.edu/iii/sites/webs.oss.cayey.upr.edu.iii/files/u1/VAR_8.pdf
  17. http://www.hacienda.gobierno.pr/pdf/reglamentos/REG-7249.pdf
  18. http://www.hacienda.gobierno.pr/downloads/pdf/leyes/LEY%20NUM%20117.pdf
  19. "BSNF busca apoyo del Alcalde de Mayagüez : EnVivoPR.Com / Noticias y Tecnología". Envivopr.com. 2011-07-12. Retrieved 2012-11-30.
  20. "Jaime Perelló está seguro de que será el presidente de la Cámara". Primerahora.com. Retrieved 2012-11-30.
  21. "AGP resalta la obra del Alcalde de Villalba durante su recorrido con la Ola de la Gente". 18norte66oeste.com. 2012-09-24. Retrieved 2012-11-30.
  22. 1 2 http://www.fedalcaldes.com/htmls/text_1.html
  23. http://www.senadopr.us/Calendario%20de%20Ordenes%20Especiales/Martes,%2010%20de%20abril%20de%202012.pdf
  24. Vocero.com. "Orientan a nuevos alcaldes sobre transiciĂłn – Vocero de Puerto Rico". Vocero.com. Retrieved 2012-11-30.
  25. Ley de Municipios Autónomos de Puerto Rico
  26. Cámara de Representantes, P. de la C. 2684
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