The Comptroller General of the Republic (CGR) rejected the query sent by Diego Miranda, mayor of San José, about his salary and the increase that was applied to him just a few days after beginning his duties in that position.
On June 12, Miranda sent the query to the controlling body through the letter MSJ-ALCALDIA-1840-2024, but it did not meet the requirements for its presentation.
According to Luis Alonso Richmond, auditor of the legal division of the CGR, said entity has advisory power for deputies, as well as taxable subjects and those private individuals who have a connection with issues within the control body’s jurisdiction.
Additionally, the queries sent must be about general topics and not specific issues, such as the one raised by Miranda about his remuneration and that of other officials of the Municipality of San José.
“From what has been transcribed it is clear that the consultation, in the terms stated, does not meet the regulatory requirements to be admitted before this controlling body,” he responded in document DJ-1138.
Richmond highlighted in his response that Miranda exposes specific circumstances that correspond to the criteria of the Municipality’s Human Talent Directorate.
For this reason, the advisory power does not work for the controlling entity to review the legality of the administration’s actions, the leader highlighted.
“These are specific aspects that directly concern the decision-making sphere of the consulting administration and that cannot be resolved through the exercise of this power,” he explained.
“Resolving what is being raised would imply for this controlling body to adopt, on a binding basis, particular decisions that do not correspond through the exercise of advisory power,” the official added.
The inspector highlighted that the Comptroller’s Office does not enter into specific situations because it would be replacing the person responsible for making decisions.
“As a corollary of the above, it is concluded that if your consultation fails to comply with the requirements established above, it is inadmissible. This being the case, and in accordance with what is regulated in article 9 of the same regulations, the present management is rejected and it is filed without further processing,” he concluded.
WATCH MORE: Municipal Council increased the salary of Diego Miranda, mayor of San José, by ¢175,000
Salary freeze
On May 28, the Municipal Council approved a salary increase of ¢175,000 for Miranda, just twenty days after taking office.
With the adjustment, his remuneration would go from ¢5,565,000 to ¢5,740,000. On that occasion, the councilors justified that they were tied to laws such as Public Employment and Strengthening Public Finances.
Allan Vásquez, director of said department, recalled that in December 2023, the Comptroller General of the Republic disapproved the adjustment corresponding to the 20 minimum salaries of the lowest position in the General Directorate of the Civil Service.
However, at the beginning of this year, they consulted the Civil Service with the uncertainty of whether there was too much money sent to the previous authorities.
“And later, because we realized that the Central Government had already made this increase retroactive from 2020 to date, we realized that not only do we not have to recover the salaries but we have to adjust the ceiling to those 20 minimum salaries. that is paid to the mayor and vice mayor,” Vásquez said at that time.
Days after this decision was made public, Miranda reported that he would freeze his salary until the Comptroller’s Office resolved this matter.
“We are going to abide by the response that the Comptroller General of the Republic gives us to the letter and I am generating an instruction so that this salary increase, if it were the case, is frozen and is not given in any way,” said the May 30.
Miranda described this Thursday that his “salary increase” was not his idea and even described it as a “supposition”, even though it was a decision two days ago.
WATCH MORE: Mayor Diego Miranda assures that he would freeze his salary increase if the Comptroller’s Office orders it
