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The government closest to home
Mayors, municipal legislatures, and local responsibilities.
Seventy-eight local governments
Puerto Rico has 78 municipalities. The Municipal Code organizes their powers and operations. Each municipality has an executive branch led by its mayor and a municipal legislative branch. Municipalities are not simply regional offices of a central-government department.
Ordinances and administration
The municipal legislature adopts ordinances and resolutions and performs functions assigned by law. The mayor heads municipal administration. Budgets, procurement, services, and local projects follow particular rules and procedures. The organization of offices can vary between municipalities.
An address does not establish responsibility
A service located within a municipality may belong to the federal or state-level government. Before assigning responsibility to the mayor, identify who administers the facility, road, or program. Coordination across levels can matter without erasing their separate legal identities. The directory lets you explore each municipality without assuming that every municipality has identical departments.
Check your understanding: Does an office located in Ponce necessarily belong to its municipal government?
No. Geographic location does not determine the responsible level of government.