Beginning Monday, February 7, Marcos Jiménez, officially took office as Mayor of the Municipality of Nicoya. The solemn ceremony for the change of leadership started at 2 p.m. in the city’s Central Park. Over the next five years, Jimenez will be responsible for the management of the Council budget which currently totals more than ¢2,500 million colones ($5 million).

The inauguration ceremony was attended by the new syndics of the districts of the canton, special guests and children of the School of Music, who sang the national anthem and the anthem of Guanacaste.

Juan Luis Aguirre, Nicoya’s City Council President was responsible for the swearing in of Mayor Jiménez and Deputys Mayor Ariana Rodriguez Cardenas and Fabricio Sanchez Fonseca.

The first to speak was First Deputy Mayor Rodriguez Cardenas who immediately addressed administrative functions. She called for everyone to work as a team and she promised that she will work hand in hand with the young people of the county.

In his twenty minute speech, the new Mayor complained that the outgoing Mayor, Luis Eduardo Gutiérrez, did not give a report as he leaves the Municipality.

"We need to get Nicoya going. At this time I'm opening my bank accounts to see what I have and what I will leave in five years. We are being left a deficit of over ¢ 214 million ($428 thousand) and uncollected taxes of ¢ 1,200 million ($2.4 million). On my first day in office, I find an administrative mess,” said the new Mayor.

Jimenez said that in the coming years he will bring modern management to the Municipality. He promised that money won’t be kept in the Municipality but will go to the communities for their development. On the issue of garbage, Jimenez thinks that by 2013, there will be a garbage business in Nicoya.

"We will knock on doors in the community in order to learn the needs and then work with the leaders of those community as a team. A finca worth 165 million colones was purchased with the money from the Chinese but nothing resulted from this. Now we have the problem of the trash.

Recently the Consejo Municipal stopped the purchase of a new finca because the purchase was for political reasons not associated with the trash problem,” said Mayor Jimenez in his presentation.

After the ceremony there was hugging and congratulations; the activity closed with a concert by the Salsa band Azul Plata.

Mayor Marcos Jimenez closes his eyes and rest during the music presentation. On his right is the Vice-Mayor Fabricio Sanchez with sun glasses and a hat.

from left to right: Fabricio Sanchez, Arianna Rodriguez and Marcos Jimenez

Marcos Avila, Syndic for Nosara.

Former Nicoya Mayor, Luis Eduardo Gutierrez, listening to the new Mayor speech.

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