Mayor of Leon, Nicaragua - July 17, 2008

We met with, the mayor of Leon, population 200,000. Leon is dominated by the Sandinista party. We discussed the responsibilities of city government in Nicaragua. The central government gives each of the municipal governments 6 percent of the central budget which equates to $23 million Cordova, or about $1.2 million. Taxes are also collected amounting to $195 million Cordova, or about $10.3 million. Tax collection has improved in Leon, from 2,400 residents paying taxes a few years ago to 6,500 currently paying taxes on property and garbage collection.

We have heard throughout our trip that obtaining a voting card was very difficult due to the paperwork and the necessity of a birth certificate which many Nicaraguan’s do not possess. Leon has a remarkable 95 percent of eligible citizens registered to vote. There is an agreement in Leon between the hospital and elections commission to register babies when they are born, to be eligible for a voting card. Approximately 60 percent of Leon citizens vote in the elections, more vote in the national elections than the municipal elections, which is typical in most places.