Municipalities ( municipios in Spanish ) are the second-level administrative divisions of Mexico , where the first-level administrative division is the state (Spanish: estado ). They should not be confused with cities or towns that may share the same name as they are distinct entities and do not share geographical boundaries. As of March 2024, there are 2,460 municipalities in Mexico, adding the 16 boroughs of Mexico City to constitute 2476 territorial units.
20-550: Autlán de Navarro is a city and its surrounding municipality of the same name in the Costa Sur region of the southwestern part of the state of Jalisco in Mexico . At the Mexican census of 2005, the municipality had a population of 53,269. In 2010, the population had increased up to approximately 108,427, including all its delegations. The municipality has a surface area of 705.1 km. It
40-542: A municipality in Mexico is roughly equivalent to the counties of the United States , whereas the auxiliary presidency is equivalent to a township. Nonetheless, auxiliary presidencies are not considered a third-level administrative division since they depend fiscally on the municipalities in which they are located. North-western and south-eastern states are divided into small numbers of large municipalities (e.g. Baja California
60-641: A result of the Political Reforms enacted in 2016, it is no longer designated as a Federal District and became a city, a member entity of the Mexican federation, seat of the Powers of the Union and the capital of Mexico. Mexico City is divided in 16 boroughs , officially called demarcaciones territoriales , substituting the old delegaciones . The boroughs are considered as third-level territorial divisions for statistical data collection and cross-country comparisons. Since
80-401: A settlement to become a municipality (usually based on population). The Constitution of 1917 abolished the jefatura política ("political authority"), the intermediate administrative authority between the states and converted all existing municipalities into municipios libres ("free municipalities"), that is, gave them full autonomy to manage local affairs, while at the same time restricting
100-503: A variable number of trustees and councillors ( regidores y síndicos ) who govern from the municipal seat. Municipalities are responsible for public services (such as water and sewerage), street lighting, public safety, traffic, and the maintenance of public parks, gardens and cemeteries. They may also assist the state and federal governments in education, emergency fire and medical services, environmental protection and maintenance of monuments and historical landmarks. Since 1984, they have had
120-400: Is Tijuana with 1,922,523 residents, representing around half ( 51%) of the population of the state. The smallest municipality by population is San Felipe : the areas which now make up San Felipe recorded a population of 18,369 inhabitants in the 2010 Mexican Census. San Quintín, which spans 32,883.93 km (12,696.56 sq mi), is the largest municipality by area in the state and in
140-463: Is autonomous; citizens elect a " municipal president " ( presidente municipal ) who heads a municipal council ( ayuntamiento ), responsible for providing all the public services for their constituents. This concept, which originated after the Mexican Revolution , is known as a municipio libre ("free municipality"). The municipal president is elected by plurality and cannot be reelected for
160-467: Is divided into 14 boroughs besides the City of Mexicali , which comprises the municipal seat and three additional metropolitan boroughs. Querétaro municipality is subdivided into seven boroughs. Nonetheless, the heads of government of the boroughs are not elected by the residents but rather appointed by the municipal president. Mexico City is a special case in that it is not organized into municipalities. As
180-726: Is divided into only seven municipalities), and therefore they cover large areas incorporating several separated cities or towns that do not necessarily conform to one single conurbation. Central and southern states, on the other hand, are divided into many small municipalities (e.g. Oaxaca is divided into 570 municipalities), and therefore large urban areas usually extend over several municipalities which form one single conurbation. Although an urban area might cover an entire municipality, auxiliary councils might still be used for administrative purposes. Municipalities are responsible for public services (such as water and sewerage), street lighting, public safety, traffic, supervision of slaughterhouses and
200-731: Is located 192 kilometers away from the Guadalajara metropolitan area and 165 kilometers from Manzanillo, Colima . This department capital is the most populated and largest city of the Costa Sur region. It is a leader district in the region since, Autlán is an important commercial exchange center. On September 12, 2014 the Autlán municipality was vouched for by the Congress of the Union . Two recent mayors were Fernando Morán Guzmán (2010–2012) and Fabricio Israel Corona Vizcarra (2015–2018). The name comes from
220-758: The Nahuatl language , Aotli ( water way , water channel or water ditch ) and Tlan ( place of or near ) and means "next to the water ditch." Municipalities of Mexico Since the 2015 Intercensal Survey, two municipalities have been created in Campeche , three in Chiapas , three in Morelos , one in Quintana Roo and two in Baja California . The internal political organization and their responsibilities are outlined in
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#1733093300561240-446: The 115th article of the 1917 Constitution and detailed in the constitutions of the states to which they belong. Municipalities are distinct from cities , a form of Mexican locality , and are divided into colonias (neighborhoods); some municipalities can be as large as full states, while cities can be measured in basic geostatistical areas or city blocks . All Mexican states are divided into municipalities. Each municipality
260-636: The 2020 Mexican National Census. Data from the 2020 Mexican National Census. Municipalities of Baja California Baja California is a state in Northwest Mexico that is divided into seven municipalities . According to the 2020 Mexican census , Baja California is the 13th most populous state with 3,769,020 inhabitants and the 12th largest by land area spanning 73,290.08 square kilometres (28,297.46 sq mi). Municipalities in Baja California are administratively autonomous of
280-559: The Conquest and colonization of Mexico, the municipality became the basic entity of the administrative organization of New Spain and the Spanish Empire . Settlements located in strategic locations received the status of ciudad (the highest status within the Empire, superior to that of villas and pueblos ) and were entitled to form an ayuntamiento or municipality. During the first decades,
300-657: The cleaning and maintenance of public parks, gardens and cemeteries. They may also assist the state and federal governments in education, emergency fire and medical services, environmental protection and maintenance of monuments and historical landmarks. Since 1983, they can collect property taxes and user fees, although more funds are obtained from the state and federal governments than from their own collection efforts. Some municipalities in Mexico are subdivided into internal, third-level administrative organizations. All municipalities of Baja California are subdivided into boroughs, or delegaciones . Mexicali municipality, for example,
320-417: The local authorities had full powers on the public and economic administration of each municipality, but successive reforms diminished their attributions. After Independence, the 1824 Constitution did not specify any regulation for the municipalities, whose structure and responsibilities were to be outlined in the constitution of each state of the federation. As such, every state set its own requirements for
340-493: The next immediate term. The municipal council consists of a cabildo (chairman) with a síndico and several regidores (trustees). If the municipality covers a large area and contains more than one city or town (collectively called localidades ), one city or town is selected as a cabecera municipal (head city, seat of the municipal government) while the rest elect representatives to a presidencia auxiliar or junta auxiliar (auxiliary presidency or council). In that sense,
360-514: The power to collect property taxes and user fees , although more funds are obtained from the state and federal governments than from their own income. Municipalities may establish functional and geographical subdivisions called delegaciones and subdelegaciones in accordance with Article 29 of the Law of the Municipal Regime. The largest municipality by population in Baja California and in Mexico
380-938: The scope of their competencies. However, in 1983 the 115th article was modified to expand the municipalities' authority to raise revenue (through property taxes and other local services) and to formulate budgets. The first city council in Mexico was established by Hernán Cortés in 1519 in Veracruz ; it was also the first in the American mainland. The newest municipalities in Mexico are San Quintín in Baja California, established on February 27, 2020; Seybaplaya and Dzitbalché in Campeche, gazetted on January 1, 2021; Las Vigas , Ñuu Savi , San Nicolás , and Santa Cruz del Rincón in Guerrero, incorporated on August 31, 2021; and San Felipe in Baja California, incorporated on January 1, 2022. Data from
400-493: The state according to the 115th article of the 1917 Constitution of Mexico . Their legal framework derives from Title VI of the state Constitution and the state's 2001 Law of the Municipal Regime. Every three years, citizens elect a municipal president (Spanish: presidente municipal ) by a plurality voting system who heads a concurrently elected municipal council ( ayuntamiento ) responsible for providing public services for their constituents. The municipal council consists of
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