Receiving Mayor of San Juan, Miguel Romero, who will take office this morning, has assured that he will take the necessary administrative measures so that the municipality is not forced to pay large sums in liquidations to its employees, as happened with the former mayor Carmen Yulin Cruz, who in recent weeks has received a payment of more than $ 54,000 for accrued vacation and sick days.
Romero said that, in principle, he has no problem with the officials who tax the money to which they are entitled, but stressed that planning is necessary to avoid the excessive accumulation of these licenses.
“I did not have the opportunity to examine this. The settlements, if you have the right to them and everything was done correctly, you would have no problem. Now, in our case and in the way I intend to administer San Juan, I will make sure that the executive officers have their plans and will take their vacation to avoid what has happened now., which represents not only $ 54,000 from the mayor’s liquidation, but that $ 1.2 million had to be allocated for the liquidation of 36 employees, “Romero said.
This outlet reported a week ago that Carmen Serrano, Cruz’s press assistant, received over $ 100,000 in liquidation of licenses.
“I may think that, in the case of the mayor or the mayor’s office, it is an official who sees limited days that he can take on vacation, but I think that the rest of the officials need planning.. If we didn’t have to liquidate $ 1.2 million now, it would be $ 1.2 million that could be used to buy equipment, excavators that are needed, repair the fleet of trucks and heavy vehicles, buy asphalt. I think that also means, and I mean that in terms of totality, I don’t want to personalize it, that thirty employees when they are liquidated ($ 1.2 million) are on average over $ 30,000 and that catches my eye. “, added Romero, former senator and former secretary of labor.
Cruz himself made public the balance due for leave and sick leave last Monday.
“Before a municipal official leaked this document as if it were illegal, I had shown myself the liquidation of the municipality of San Juan. You can object to the liquidation, but it is the law and no one who receives your liquidation commits an illegal act, “said the former mayor, who resigned on December 31.