Mérida municipal administration announces LED lighting expansion and faces budget scrutiny

Mérida Mayor Cecilia Patrón Laviada announced that the city aims to install over 80,000 LED lamps this year, targeting 80 percent coverage across the municipality. All 47 rural districts (comisarías) and more than 400 neighborhoods have already received LED lighting. The transition from sodium vapor lamps to LED technology is expected to reduce electricity consumption by up to 45 percent, resulting in monthly savings of approximately 4 million pesos.

Separately, questions have been raised regarding the municipal administration's transparency. Reports indicate that Anunciación Patrón Laviada, a city council member, has not provided a formal accounting of the 2026 fiscal year budget. Additionally, the municipal budget maintains eight different labor unions, though records show that one of these organizations, the 'Sindicato Integrado de los Trabajadores Municipales', does not appear in the official union registry of the state judicial tribunal.