The mayors of Puerto Rico encompass the different mayors of the municipalities of Puerto Rico; each mayor being the highest-ranking officer of their 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 Several laws existed that created the post of mayor in each municipality but they were all repealed in favor of a broad and encompassing law known as the Autonomous Municipalities Act of 1991.
The mayors do not constitute a body, and are not required by law to do so, but they have voluntarily assembled into two organizations:
the Puerto Rico Mayors Association, which represents the mayors from the Popular Democratic Party and the Puerto Rico Mayors Federation, which represents the mayors from the New Progressive Party. The President of the Puerto Rico Mayors Federation in 2021 was Gabriel Hernández-Rodríguez.
Each mayor is also the commander-in-chief of its corresponding municipal police.
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. 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. These policies have granted a high degree of autonomy to its municipalities and their mayors, and has allowed certain highly populated municipalities with robust local economies —such as Caguas and San Juan— to prosper and exercise a high degree of autonomy, while leaving others with mild or little population —such as Florida and Moca— 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. An example of this would be the Willie Tax which was implemented independently in Caguas by its former mayor, William Miranda Marín. 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).
Today, mayors have become strong political stewardesses and anchors for other politicians seeking support from the citizens living in their municipalities. 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. 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.
The Puerto Rico Mayors Association was founded in 1949 by Felisa Rincón de Gautier. The Puerto Rico Mayors Federationwas founded in 1968 by Carlos Romero Barceló as the Federation of Municipalities of Puerto Rico. The president of the Federation as of 2017 is Carlos Molina Rodríguez, after succeeding Hector O'Neill.
Duties and powers Mayors in Puerto Rico have the following duties: Organize, direct, and supervise all the administrative activities of the municipality Prepare the general budget of the municipality Administer the budget and handle credit transfers Hire professional, technical, and consulting services deemed necessary, convenient, or useful Supervise, administer, and authorize fund disbursements received by the municipality.
Requirements The law states the following requirements to be a mayor in Puerto Rico. The candidate must: Be at least 21 years old. Know how to read and write. Be a citizen of the United States and Puerto Rico. Lived in the corresponding municipality for no less than a year before the election, and be a certified voter in it. Not be convicted of a felony or misdemeanor which involves moral deprivation. Not be destitute of employment for improper conduct. Not be declared mentally unfit by a court of law.
Removal from office According to an amend signed in 2006, a mayor in Puerto Rico can be removed from office for the following reasons: Being convicted of a felony. Being convicted of a misdemeanor which involves moral deprivation. Incurring in immoral conduct. Incurring in illegal acts which imply abandoning detrimental to the public function, inexcusable and unjustifiable negligence or conduct hindering to the best public interests. Such conduct must have affected the interests of the population and the rights of its inhabitants, must be related to the administration of the position of mayor, and must substantial in nature.
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 2021–2025
There are currently 41 mayors affiliated with the Popular Democratic Party (PPD), 36 are affiliated with the New Progressive Party (PNP), and 1 affiliated with Project Dignity (PD). The longest tenured current mayor in the Commonwealth was the mayor of Dorado, Carlos López Rivera. López has been serving as mayor since being elected in 1987. The current term ends in January 2029, following the 2024 general election.
List of mayorsMunicipalityCurrent mayorPartyTook officePast Adjuntas José Hiram Soto RiveraPPD 2021 Aguada Christian CortésPPD 2021 Aguadilla Julio Roldán ConcepciónPPD 2021 Aguas Buenas Karina Nieves SerranoPNP 2022 Aibonito William Alicea PérezPNP 2009 Añasco Kabir SolaresPNP 2021 Arecibo Carlos (Tito) Ramírez IrizarryPPD 2021 Arroyo Eric Bachier RománPPD 2013 Barceloneta Wanda Soler RosarioPPD 2012 Barranquitas Elliot Colón BlancoPNP 2019 Bayamón Ramón Luis Rivera, Jr. PNP 2001 Cabo Rojo Jorge Morales Wiscovitch (Jorgito)PNP 2021 Caguas William Miranda TorresPPD 2010 Camuy Gabriel Hernández RodríguezPNP 2020 Canóvanas Lornna Soto PNP 2014 Carolina José Aponte DalmauPPD 2007 Cataño Julio Alicea VasalloPNP 2021 Cayey Rolando Ortíz VelázquezPPD 1997 Ceiba Samuel Rivera BáezPNP 2021 Ciales Alexander Burgos Otero PNP 2021 Cidra David Concepción GonzálezPPD 2021 Coamo Juan Carlos García PadillaPPD 2001 Comerío José A. SantiagoPPD 2001 Corozal Luis (Luiggi) GarcíaPNP 2021 Culebra Edilberto (Junito) RomeroPNP 2021 Dorado Aníbal José TorresPPD 2025 Fajardo José Anibal Meléndez MéndezPNP 2020 Florida José Gerena PolancoPNP 2013 Guánica Ismael (Titi) Rodríguez RamosPPD 2021 Guayama O'Brain VázquezPPD 2022 Guayanilla Raúl Rivera RodríguezPNP 2021 Guaynabo Edward O'NeillPNP 2021 Gurabo Rosachely Rivera SantanaPNP 2017 Hatillo Carlos Román RománPPD 2022 Hormigueros Pedro García FigueroaPPD 2005 Humacao Julio GeigelPNP 2022 Isabela Miguel (Ricky) Méndez PérezPPD 2021 Jayuya Jorge González OteroPPD 1997 Juana Díaz Ramón Hernández TorresPPD 2001 Juncos Alfredo Alejandro CarriónPPD 2001 Lajas Jayson (Jay) MartínezPPD 2021 Lares Fabián Arroyo RodríguezPPD 2021 Las Marías Edwin Soto SantiagoPNP 2017 Las Piedras Miguel López RiveraPNP 2009 Loíza Julia M. NazarioPPD 2017 Luquillo Jesús Márquez RodríguezPPD 2013 Manatí José Sánchez GonzálezPNP 2017 Maricao Wilfredo (Juny) RuizPPD 2021 Maunabo Ángel Omar Lafuente AmaroPNP 2021 Mayagüez Jorge RamosPPD 2022 List Moca Ángel (Beto) PérezPNP 2021 Morovis Carmen Maldonado GonzálezPPD 2017 Naguabo Miraidaliz Rosario PagánPPD 2021 Naranjito Orlando Ortíz ChevresPNP 2009List Orocovis Jesús Colón BerlingeriPNP 1998 Patillas Maritza Sánchez NerisPNP 2021 Peñuelas Gregory Gonsález SouchetPPD 2019 Ponce Marlese SifrePPD 2023List Quebradillas Heriberto VélezPPD 2005 Rincón Carlos López BonillaPPD 2001 Río Grande Ángel "Bori" GonzálezPPD 2014 Sabana Grande Marcos Gilberto Valentín FloresPPD 2021 Salinas Karilyn Bonilla ColónPPD 2013 San Germán Virgilio Olivera Olivera PNP 2021 San Juan Miguel Romero LugoPNP 2021List San Lorenzo Jaime Alverio RamosPNP 2021 San Sebastián Javier JiménezPD 2005 Santa Isabel Rafael (Billy) Burgos SantiagoPPD 2021 Toa Alta Clemente AgostoPPD 2013 Toa Baja Bernardo Márquez GarcíaPNP 2017 Trujillo Alto Pedro Rodríguez GonzálezPPD 2022 Utuado Jorge Pérez HerediaPNP 2021 Vega Alta María Vega PagánPNP 2021 Vega Baja Marcos Cruz MolinaPPD 2013 Vieques Junito CorcinoPNP 2021 Villalba Dan Adriel Santiago Núñez PNP 2025 Yabucoa Rafael SurilloPPD 2013 Yauco Angel Torres OrtizPNP 2017
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