Heriberto Vélez

Heriberto Vélez Vélez
Mayor of Quebradillas
Assuming office January 14, 2005
Succeeding	Luis Pérez Reillo
Personal details
Born	(1964-01-25) January 25, 1964 (age 60) Quebradillas, Puerto Rico
Political party	Popular Democratic Party (PPD)
Spouse	Edith Zenaida Irrizary
Alma mater	Pontifical Catholic University of Puerto Rico (B.Ed.)

Heriberto Vélez Vélez (born January 25, 1964) is a Puerto Rican politician and the current mayor of Quebradillas. Vélez is affiliated with the Popular Democratic Party (PPD) and has served as mayor since 2005.^[1]

Personal life

According to a report by El Nuevo Día in 2016 Heriberto's main residence and a separate plot of land are located in Quebradillas and are valued at $225,000. The mayor also owns another property valued at $250,000 in Cabo Rojo. Three vehicles were under the mayor's name including a Pathfinder, Ford Mustang and Dodge Ram.^[2]

Education

Graduated from Juan Alejo Arizmendi High School in Quebradillas. Has a bachelor's degree in Education, with a concentration in mathematics from the Pontifical Catholic University of Puerto Rico.

Tenure as Mayor

Heriberto has been mayor of Quebradillas since 2006. He was reflected during the 2016 election with 59% of the vote and in 2020 he won his fifth term with 62% of the vote.^[3][4][5]

During his tenure as mayor Heriberto has inaugurated six electronic libraries, various community centers, an aquatic park named "Los Chorritos Piratas", and a mini golf course. In 2021 the mayor inaugurated a daycare center for children ages 3–5 and a fitness center.^[6][7] In 2013 the mayor purchased a mansion with an initial investment of $2 million to turn the property into a hotel the next year.^[8] According to the state agency the Center for Municipal Revenue Collection (CRIM, for its initials in Spanish) the municipality still owns the property but the mansion has not been converted. In January 2021 the municipal government purchased heavy machinery to assist with the removal of vegetation.^[9]

Audits

Since 2006, the Puerto Rico Comptroller's Office has made several investigations into Quebradillas' fiscal health and financial mismanagement under Vélez Vélez's mayoralty.^[10] Between 2006 and 2008, among other findings, the audit reports found that building and upkeep services were hired without obtaining the necessary construction permits. Services were also "provided without the granting of written contracts, inspections not being carried out and contracting of works and improvements without obtaining the corresponding insurance policies and securities." Deficiencies in contracting engineering services were also found, as well as the purchase of heavy equipment from outside of Puerto Rico without the necessary guarantees. Additionally, there were services paid from federal funds with irregularities in the market rate quotes, as well as "overdrafts in special funds".^[10]

Another report, compromising the period between the beginning of 2015 till mid 2018, that the municipality invested $180,479 in a library and community center construction project without the necessary permits, which were acquired 25 days after.^[11]

In June 2020 a report from the special independent prosecutor panel (PFEI, for its initials in Spanish) alleged the mayor had used kitchen equipment paid with Head Start funds, were used for a personal restaurant.^[12] In 2021 the special independent prosecutor panel archived a case against the mayor related to allegations of using public funds for paint destined for his own home.^[13]

References

1. "Alcalde de Quebradillas, Elecciones Generales 2004". CEEPUR. Archived from the original on 2012-10-06.
2. Día, El Nuevo. "Perfil de alcalde Heriberto Vélez Vélez". Puerto Rico Decide 2016 - ENData (in Spanish). Retrieved 2021-05-01.
3. "CEE Event". elecciones2016.ceepur.org. Retrieved 2021-05-01.
4. "Asume su quinto término el alcalde de Quebradillas" [Mayor of Quebradillas assumes his fifth term]. El Vocero (in Spanish). Retrieved 2021-05-01.
5. "Heriberto Vélez Vélez". Ballotpedia. Retrieved 2021-05-01.
6. "Inauguran un centro de cuido de niños en Quebradillas" [Daycare center inaugurated in Quebradillas]. El Vocero (in Spanish). 2021-05-09. Retrieved 2021-05-17.
7. "Quebradillas inaugura su primer gimnasio municipal" [Quebradillas inaugurates its first municipal gymnasium]. El Vocero (in Spanish). Retrieved 2021-06-05.
8. "Adquieren mansión para establecer hotel en Quebradillas" [Mansion acquired to establish hotel in Quebradillas]. Primera Hora (Puerto Rico) (in Spanish). Retrieved 2021-05-01.
9. Redacción (2021-01-27). "Municipio de Quebradillas compra equipo pesado para ornato y mantenimiento de vías públicas" [Municipality of Quebradillas purchases heavy equipment for maintaining the public streets]. La Voz Digital PR (in Spanish). Retrieved 2021-05-01.
10. "Oficina de la Contralora detecta irregularidades en operaciones fiscales del municipio de Quebradillas" [The Comptroller's Office Detects Irregularities in the Fiscal Operations of the Municipality of Quebradillas]. Primera Hora (Puerto Rico) (in Spanish). 2010-12-13. Archived from the original on 2020-09-25. Retrieved 2020-09-25.
11. "Informe revela faltas de control significativos en las operaciones fiscales de Quebradillas" [Report Reveals Significant Lack of Control in Quebradillas Fiscal Operations]. La Perla del Sur (in Spanish). 2020-03-24. Archived from the original on 2020-04-06. Retrieved 2020-09-25.
12. Soto, Miladys. "Señalan alcalde de Quebradillas por instalar en su restaurante equipo de cocina de un Head Start". Metro (in Spanish). Retrieved 2021-05-01.
13. Jagual, Media (February 18, 2021). "Panel del FEI archiva casos contra Bhatia, Alcalde de Quebradillas y exsubdirector del Programa CDBG-DR". Jay Fonseca. Retrieved May 1, 2021.