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José A. Hernández Lázaro, an assemblyman from Ponce and candidate for the District 24 position in the island’s House of Representatives, has filed a lawsuit against the Municipality of Ponce for rejecting his request for public information concerning the plan to designate 32 properties as public nuisances, as stated in a Wednesday announcement.
His public information request, which falls under Law 141-2019, aimed to obtain documents associated with the 32 properties and the related processes for the contract involving legal services and consultancy for the public nuisance initiative.
“The Municipality has denied the information I requested based on the incorrect assumption that, as a municipal legislator, I am not entitled to utilize the provisions outlined in Law 141,” Hernández Lázaro stated. “Not only is this interpretation legally flawed, but it is also astonishing considering this marks the 11th instance where I have invoked this measure against the Municipality over the past four years.”
The request submitted aims to probe into the procedures for identifying the 32 properties planned for declaration as public nuisances, with the acknowledgment that not all may fulfill the criteria outlined by municipal regulations.
“Throughout these four years, I have consistently emphasized the need to tackle the issue of public nuisances, particularly in view of the fires that have taken place in the urban region,” Hernández Lázaro remarked. “However, considering the uncertainties arising from this initial attempt in four years to categorize properties as public nuisances, it is vital to provide the necessary information to ensure process transparency.”
The Citizen Victory Movement candidate further asserted that the MVC, as its Spanish acronym indicates, will always promote complete transparency. He maintained that the Municipality of Ponce is obligated to furnish the documents requested by the municipal legislator, as stipulated by law.
