Veracruz lawmakers propose new system to regulate municipal salaries

Lawmakers in Veracruz have proposed the creation of a Municipal Remuneration Proportionality System to regulate the salaries of local government officials. The initiative, presented by deputies Leonela Jazmín Martínez Ayala and Elías Lozada Ortega, seeks to reform state laws and the local constitution to establish objective criteria for determining pay across the state's 217 municipalities.

The proposal introduces the Municipal Responsibility Index (IRM) as a technical tool. This index would calculate pay based on four specific factors: population, financial capacity, tax collection autonomy, and administrative complexity. The goal is to ensure that salaries are verifiable and reflect the actual responsibilities of each municipality. The initiative also includes maximum salary limits and mandates that the State Auditor's Office verify compliance.

This legislative move follows reports of salary discrepancies in the region. Specifically, records from the Córdoba City Council revealed that Mayor Manuel Alonso Cerezo and several council members receive monthly gross salaries exceeding those of Governor Rocío Nahle. In response to these findings, the Veracruz State Congress has announced it will review municipal salary tables for 2027 to prevent officials from earning more than the governor or exceeding constitutional limits.