Villalba Mayor Accused of Allocating Funds for $1 Million Motor
Villalba Transition Reveals Alleged Mismanagement, Missing Vehicles
Villalba, Puerto Rico – The incoming administration in Villalba is alleging serious financial mismanagement and misuse of public resources by the outgoing administration, led by now-Senator Luis Javier Hernández Ortiz. Hiram Torres Montalvo, secretary general of the New Progressive Party (PNP) and a member of the transition committee for incoming Mayor Dan Santiago, made the accusations in a statement released Sunday.
Torres Montalvo claims the outgoing administration,affiliated with the Popular democratic Party (PPD),assigned $1 million in funds for the purchase of a motor,a figure he says is unprecedented for any municipality in the United States.
“This raises serious questions about the lack of control over public finances and the duty too maintain equipment purchased with taxpayer dollars,” Torres Montalvo stated.
He further alleged that vehicles belonging to the municipality were used for personal purposes, including transporting acquaintances to the Luis Muñoz Marín International Airport in Carolina.
“In just a few days of transition,we have witnessed a historic administrative and fiscal disaster in Villalba,” Torres Montalvo said. “there were no controls on the use of the municipal vehicle fleet. we have found numerous cases where personnel from the Transportation Department were ordered to use official vehicles to transport the ‘friends’ of the administration to the airport.This is simply unacceptable.”
Torres Montalvo also pointed to a lack of accountability regarding the municipality’s vehicle fleet, stating that 100 vehicles are unaccounted for and listed as operational despite being inoperable.
“The accounting and management of public resources in Villalba was a disaster,” he added. “There are no accepted accounting procedures. Approximately 100 unusable vehicles were never properly recorded.Instead, they appear in the records as if they were operational and available for use, when in reality they are scrap.There is no justification for this administrative irresponsibility.”
the transition committee is reportedly considering referring these findings to the Department of Justice for examination.
The allegations come as villalba prepares for a change in leadership. Dan Santiago, a member of the PNP, defeated Wilfredo Santos of the PPD in the recent mayoral election, ending two decades of PPD control in the municipality.
Response from Villalba Municipality
Wanda Morales, director of property for the municipality of Villalba, refuted Torres Montalvo’s claims, calling the information ”false.”
“The motor unit was donated by the general Services Administration (ASG) to the municipality,” Morales stated. “as is standard practice, it was registered in the books at the nominal value of the property, which is $10,000. There was a typographical error that was corrected and fully explained during the transition meetings. It is disrespectful to the citizens of Villalba to try to deceive them with this type of publication.”
Villalba Transition: Mismanagement or Misinformation?
Villalba, Puerto Rico – Accusations are flying in Villalba as the transition between outgoing mayor wilfredo Santos (PPD) and incoming mayor Dan Santiago (PNP) intensifies. Hiram Torres Montalvo, secretary general of the PNP and a member of SantiagoS transition team, alleges serious financial mismanagement by the santos governance.
Torres Montalvo claims the outgoing administration improperly accounted for a $1 million motor purchase, citing it as an unprecedented sum for a municipality. He further accuses the administration of misusing municipal vehicles for personal purposes, including transporting acquaintances to Luis Muñoz marín International Airport in Carolina.
Adding to the controversy, Torres Montalvo asserts that 100 municipally owned vehicles are unaccounted for, listed as operational despite being inoperable. He describes the situation as “a historic administrative and fiscal disaster,” threatening referral to the Department of Justice.
Though, Wanda Morales, director of property for the Villalba municipality, vehemently denies these allegations.She claims the motor unit in question was donated by the general Services Administration (ASG), registered at its nominal value of $10,000. She attributes the discrepancy to a typographical error rectified during transition meetings, branding the PNP’s accusations as “false” and “disrespectful” to Villalba residents.
As Villalba prepares for a new chapter under PNP leadership, the truth behind these allegations remains unclear. The ensuing examination promises to shed light on the state of Villalba’s finances and the practices of the outgoing administration.