Ponce, Puerto Rico - Government

Government

See also: List of mayors of Ponce, Puerto Rico

The municipal government has its seat in the city of Ponce. Since its foundation in 1692, the city of Ponce has been led by a mayor. Its first mayor was Don Pedro Sánchez de Matos. The 2008 election of María Meléndez Altieri, brought Ponce the first woman to be elected to the mayoral office in the city's history. Ponce's best known mayor of recent years is perhaps Rafael Cordero Santiago, who held office since 1989 until his sudden death on the morning of January 17, 2004, after suffering three successive brain strokes. After vice-mayor Delis Castillo finished his term, Francisco Zayas Seijo was elected mayor in 2005.

The city also has a municipal legislature that handles local legislative matters. Ponce has had a municipal council since 1812. The municipal legislature is composed of 16 civilians elected during the general elections, along with the mayor, state representatives and senators. The delegations are, until the 2012 general election, distributed as follows: 13 legislators of the New Progressive Party, two legislators of the Popular Democratic Party, and one legislator who represents the "Movimiento Autónomo Ponceño".

The Ponce City Hall has one of the most unusual histories of any city hall throughout the world. "Originally built in the 1840s as a public assembly hall, Ponce's City Hall was a jail until the end of the 19th century. Current galleries were former cells, and executions were held in the courtyard. Four U.S. presidents spoke from the balcony - Theodore Roosevelt, Herbert Hoover, Franklin Roosevelt and George Bush." It is registered with the National Register of Historic Places.

In 2005, the municipality's budget was US$152 million. In 2010-2011 it was $158 million. From a business perspective, the Ponce municipal government is generally praised for its efficiency and speediness, thanks to its adoption of the Autonomous Municipality Law of 1991.

The municipality of Ponce is part of the Puerto Rico's Senatorial District V which, for the 4-year period starting in 2009, was represented by senators Luis Berdiel and Larry Seilhamer.