Global Courant
Tegucigalpa, Honduras.-
In the last four years, the Honduran economy has suffered an escalation of blows, from the paralysis of the productive engine due to the covid-19 pandemic, through the disasters caused by hurricanes Eta and Iota, to the skyrocketing inflation that affects the finances of Hondurans.
Despite being aware of the complicated economic situation that the country is going through, in this new administration a large number of mayors decided to increase their salaries, some of them disproportionately.
The LA PRENSA Premium Data Unit In an exhaustive analysis he was able to verify that 125 mayors They have increased their salaries between 2022 and 2023, which translates into 42% of the 298 municipalities.
The investigation was carried out by comparing payroll payments for the period 2018-2022 with respect to the new administrations, for which the reports of each municipality in the single transparency portal of the Institute for Access to Public Information (IAIP) and requests for information were made through the Honduran Online Information System (Sielho).
To make the comparison, the gross salaries of both periods. That is, the stipulated base salary, which does not contemplate deductions, withholdings or bonuses.
The reason why the gross salary was analyzed is because the net salary (the final salary after applying deductions or bonuses) is not fixed and may be different each month.
When collecting the information, this newspaper could only analyze 219 municipalities because 54 of them they do not have information about the salaries of their mayors or some have partial information for certain years. In them, it is possible that some mayors do not receive their salary, but since they do not have any explanatory note, it cannot be certified that this is the case.
Besides, 24 municipal leaders are excluded that, according to information uploaded to the transparency portal, they do not earn a salary from the mayor’s office, but through a salary license they receive their salary as teachers or doctors in the public sector, either in the current period, the previous one or both.
Likewise, the mayor of Roatán is excepted, since the mayor of the previous period worked without earning any salary but the current mayor does receive his fees.
Likewise, of the 219 municipalities analyzed, it was verified that 82 maintain the same salary as the previous administration and that 12 mayors reduced it.
Most of the mayors who increased their salaries were from the central, northern and western regions of the country.
Disproportionate increases
During the tracking carried out by LA PRENSA Premium, mayors were detected who increased their salaries enormously, above 50%.
The mayors with the greatest percentage increase in their salary were Guarita, Lempira; Arizona, Atlantis; Concepción, Intibucá; Sabanagrande, Francisco Morazán; and Camp, Olancho.
The mayor of Guarita in Lempira, Denys Roberto Flores, went from earning 20 thousand to 35 thousand lempiras, that is, 15 thousand lempiras more. This represents an increase of 75%, a figure that contrasts with the economic poverty that prevails in the municipality (it barely has a municipal development index of 25.88).
This newspaper contacted Mayor Flores to ask him the reason for his salary increase. When asked, the councilor did not give justifications for his new salary.
With a defensive tone, he excused himself by saying that this medium does not have the powers to carry out investigations, only the Superior Court of Accounts (TSC), despite the fact that the information that was accessed is in the public domain for all citizens.
The second municipal head with the highest increase was Carlos ChaconMayor of Arizona in Atlantis. His new salary increased by 64%going from having a gross salary of 23,000 lempiras to 37,800.
When communicating with Chacón, the councilor argued that the salary increase was approved by the municipal corporation thanks to the fact that they obtained greater municipal revenue.
Next, he highlighted that he is the mayor with the lowest salary in his department, which is true when evaluating the rest of the mayoralties. Arizona is a category B municipality, that is, its development has been growing at a good pace.
Just like Chacón, Marco Soto TurciosMayor of Camp In Olancho, he explained that the income was higher.
Soto emphasized that in the municipal corporation session he voted against the increase, but by majority vote in favor the increase was made for both the councilors, the vice mayor and the mayor. The mayor’s salary went from 31,000 to 48,000 lempiras, equivalent to a 55% increase
This journalistic team also tried to communicate with the mayor of Sabanagrande, German Díaz, who increased his salary by 58%, but did not receive a response.
This same situation also occurred with Mayor Wilmer Sánchez of Concepción, Intibucá, who increased his salary by 60%.
A highly relevant factor that this newspaper took into account in its analysis is the Municipal Development Index (MDI).
The IDM is a categorization made by the Ministry of the Interior, Justice and Decentralizationin which municipalities are classified according to variables such as their financial sustainability and development conditions of the municipality.
The higher a municipality scores in the WDI, the greater development it has achieved. In the case of the 219 municipalities analyzed, the majority that increased their salaries have been municipalities with MDI between 20 to 40 points.
Up to 25 thousand lempiras more
In the analysis, the ten mayors who obtained the highest salary increase in absolute terms were also identified, who benefited from an increase ranging from 14,000 to 25,000 lempiras.
The two councilors who began to earn 25 thousand lempiras more are Asley Cruz, mayor of Siguatepeque and Gustavo Mejía, mayor of Choloma.
In the previous administration, the highest authority of the mayor of Siguatepeque earned 50 thousand lempiras, now earning 75 thousand; while the new mayor of Choloma now earns 100 thousand lempiras, in contrast to what Leopoldo Crivelli earned in the previous period.
Among other municipalities that pay their mayor more than 14 thousand lempiras are José Santos Guardiola, Islas de la Bahía; New Arcadia, Copán; Camp, Olancho; Sabanagrande, Francisco Morazán, Comayagua; Concepción, Intibucá; El Negrito, Yoro; and Arizona, Atlantis.
When making the comparison between the salary increase in whole values and the IDM, it can be concluded that Siguatepeque and Omoa, which increased by 25 thousand lempiras, are supported by their IDM, which means that thanks to their collections and financial sustainability they can cover that increase without having a negative impact.
This same advantage also applies in the municipalities of José Santos Guardiola, Nueva Arcadía, Choloma, Comayagua, El Negrito, Arizona and Campamento.
In contrast, Sabanagrande and Concepción have less development, so it is questionable whether this salary increase could have an impact for the municipality.
Freedom in increases
To date, there is no legal framework that regulates salary increases for mayors, so any adjustment is hidden behind the municipal autonomy contemplated in article 12 of the Municipalities Law
Although the Association of Municipalities of Honduras (Amhon) They do not agree with the disproportionate increases, being a union organization they cannot interfere in the decision made by the municipal corporation about whether or not to increase your salary.
“Within municipal autonomy there is no limit. Precisely, autonomy allows councilors at a conscious level to define their salary,” he emphasized. Nelson Castellanos, president of Amhon.
This means that it is not only the mayor who benefits from the salary increase, but also the vice mayors and councilors with their salaries or their respective per diems (payments for each session).
Castellanos, who is also mayor of Concepción del Sur, Santa Bárbara, explained that the effects of inflation have caused some municipalities to increase their salaries as an adjustment for the cost of living.
However, the Amhon leader stressed that it is not justifiable for these factors to support exorbitant salary increases, and even less so if they are not in accordance with the development conditions of the municipality.
For its part, Juan Carlos Aguilardeputy director of Transparency and Democracy of the Association for a More Just Society (ASJ)significant increases in salaries negatively impact municipal coffers, mainly in those municipalities with a low level of development.
In his opinion, this money could be redirected in the budgets to invest in meeting the needs of the municipality and the inhabitants.
In that case, Castellanos, who is also mayor of Concepción del Sur, highlighted that what can be done from the union of mayors is to advise the municipalities and provide them with recommendations on the management of their budget, but without intervening to avoid entering into contradiction with municipal autonomy protected by law.
In that sense, he considered it important that Amhon carry out corresponding studies to evaluate whether the municipality is in a position to increase the corporation’s salaries.
“It is worth doing a review of those municipalities that have increased more than 50%, as well as the analysis of the budget impact. We must carry out the respective analyzes in those small municipalities and try to provide guidance on the budgetary impact it may have,” commented Castellanos.
For his part, Juan Carlos Aguilar suggests that Amhon diagnose how the budget lines are working and how each of the municipalities should work according to the transfers from the central government and the funds they collect.
“You cannot have abusive salaries in a municipality that does not receive a sufficiently large amount of money. What these situations promote is more inequality, more gaps that impede growth and we would be seeing the position of mayor as a political perk to obtain an unjustified and oversized salary,” Aguilar stated.
The Government cannot interfere either
The director of Municipal Strengthening of the Ministry of the Interior, Justice and Decentralization (SGJD)Emerson Sánchez, reported that said institution remains vigilant that salary increases occur within the same year, but fall before the same limit of municipal autonomy.
“At the time they (the mayors) present the accountability report with the description of the salaries, we do the respective analysis of their current income and based on what we do, we make observations on whether or not an increase can proceed if the income was not higher than the previous year,” he explained.
However, he stressed that due to the municipal autonomy that the mayors enjoy, they plan their budget and in that case the SGJD can only make observations, but cannot interfere in the decision made by the municipal corporation.
“The main problem is when mayors increase their salaries when they receive administrations. But when they plan it and include it in their budget, it is already a freedom that they have with the municipal corporation whether to increase or lower their salary,” the official added.
Sánchez took the opportunity to call on mayors to work for the development of their communities and take into account the current income of their municipalities to decide with more conscience if their municipality can support the increase.
Likewise, the president of Amhon invited his colleagues to undergo a budget review and to be more aware of their municipality for which they were elected authorities.
“If there is an increase, let it be according to the levels and capabilities of each municipal corporation. Otherwise, there may be problems and I remind you that there is a people behind us who are aware of our expenses. The most advisable thing is to adapt to the national reality,” she pointed out.
