Santo Domingo.– Lawyer and municipal expert Marcos Jesús Colón Arache stated that Law 176-07 on the National District and Municipalities must be updated to grant greater autonomy and resources to local governments, while launching his work Municipal Law (176-07) Annotated with Comments, Jurisprudence, and Doctrine.
During the activity, held at the Catholic University of Santo Domingo, the author explained that the book arises after nearly three decades of studying municipal law and seeks to become a reference tool for judges, lawyers, municipal authorities, academics, and students.
“This work analyzes, comments on, and enriches Law 176-07 with jurisprudence, doctrine, and comparative studies. It strengthens the legal legacy in municipal matters that exists in the Dominican Republic,” stated Colón Arache.
The jurist maintained that one of the main challenges for Dominican municipalism is to strengthen the powers of the city councils and guarantee them the resources that, as he stated, they are entitled to by law.
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“Municipalities must be given what the law establishes, 10% of the budget. They barely receive around 2.9%, even though the primary needs of citizens reach the mayors’ offices,” he stated.
Likewise, he questioned the recent Solid Waste Law, considering that the resources generated by that system should be allocated directly to the municipalities, which are responsible for garbage collection throughout the country.
“Those who collect solid waste are the city councils. That money should go to the municipal governments and not to a trust, because it is the local governments that assume the cost of the service,” he stated.
The work, consisting of 790 pages and published by Librería Jurídica Internacional, brings together a detailed analysis of Law 176-07, accompanied by doctrinal commentary, national jurisprudence, and comparative studies on local public administration.
The publication was presented by the jurist Jottin Cury and featured the participation of authorities, academics, and representatives from the municipal sphere, who highlighted its contribution to the strengthening of the legal system and the management of local governments.
