Despite the crisis in Oples, director salaries range from 42 thousand to 151 thousand pesos

Fabiola Martinez

Newspaper La Jornada
Sunday, October 30, 2022, p. 8

The counselors of the Local Public Electoral Bodies (Oples) receive net monthly salaries ranging from 42 thousand 942 to 151 thousand 779 thousand pesos.

Information compiled by the National Electoral Institute (INE), based on data provided by these bodies (state electoral institutes), show variations in income due to the fact that payrolls are different in each state, although in all cases the resources come from authorized by each local congress.

As has been disclosed, also according to information from the INE, six Oples are in high risk (Mexico City, Campeche, Colima, Durango, Morelos and Nayarit), while four are in moderate risk (San Luis Potosí, Tamaulipas, Quintana Roo and Zacatecas).

The INE attributes the situation to constant budget reductions and/or delays in payments, mainly.

Among the most severe cases, derived from a very adverse financial situation, is Colima, with operational paralysis since last September, and with insufficiency to pay the payroll, while Campeche faces complaints for improper use of resources.

In this last entity there are complaints of embezzlement of 113 million pesos for property damage against the state electoral institute and other crimes allegedly committed during the 2014-2021 period (La Jornada, October 9, 2022).

The Oples have also been mentioned recently in different forums because the constitutional reform initiative in electoral matters sent by the federal Executive to Congress proposes, among other aspects, the disappearance of these organizations as well as the state electoral courts, as one of the alternatives to reduce the country’s electoral spending.

Those who defend their existence point out that the local councilors are highly specialized personnel who know the political-electoral problems of each region.

In the balance of salaries and higher benefits are the presidencies of the following Oples: Chihuahua (151 thousand pesos), Chiapas (119 thousand), Veracruz (111 thousand), Colima (106 thousand), as well as in the ministries of the CDMX (122 thousand).

Others who earn 100,000 pesos a month or a little more than that level are the members of the Chihuahua and Guerrero councils; presidency of Michoacán and presidency and members of Tamaulipas.

Nearly 100,000: the presidency of Baja California Sur, the presidency and members of Coahuila, council members from Chiapas and Michoacán, the presidency of Nayarit, some councilors from Nuevo León, the presidency of Sinaloa, and the presidency and members of Sonora, Tabasco, and Zacatecas.

Those who earn the least are the directors of Hidalgo (42 thousand) and Yucatán (53 thousand).

According to data compiled by the Technical Unit for Liaison with the Oples of the INE, some directors have guaranteed compensationa few are inscribed with dietalthough they all have various benefits, both legal and additional, such as insurance for major medical expenses, Christmas gifts and bonuses, to name a few.