Puerto Rico Comptroller Carmen Vega Fournier released Audit Report OC-27-05 revealing that three administrative assistants at the Municipality of Ponce collected $35,646 in public funds between March 2023 and August 2025 at the Municipal Vaccination Center Salud al Día and the Salvando Vidas animal shelter, despite lacking written authorization from the mayor or collection duties listed in their job descriptions. Vega Fournier noted this does not indicate missing money, but that unauthorized personnel receiving, safeguarding, and accounting for municipal funds weakened controls needed to detect errors or irregularities and assign responsibility.
The report also found the Port of Ponce lacked audited financial statements since fiscal year 2020-2021; the firm contracted to audit the municipality's financial statements abstained from issuing an opinion on port operations for fiscal years 2023-2024 and 2024-2025 due to insufficient evidence to confirm the reliability of the information. The Ponce municipal administration stated the Finance Department had approved the employees' collection activities and later created a formal procedure for such cases.
Vega Fournier said the findings on collection processes and use of municipal facilities require clear controls, effective oversight, and updated regulations to protect public resources, ensure transparency, and strengthen public trust in municipal administration.