A survey done by The Voice of Guanacaste shows that 95% of Nicoyans would agree to allow Nosara to have its own Municipal District Council. Only 5% expressed their disagreement.
Municipal District Councils (MDC) are bodies with their own autonomy, assigned to the municipality in their respective canton.The MDCs are able to receive municipal fees, such as those for permits, fines or taxes.
The poll was conducted with a sample of 60 residents of Nicoya canton over the age of 18, who were interviewed in May. Participants were asked, “Are you in agreement that Nosara should be able to form its own Municipal District Council? Yes or No.”
The initiative of forming an MDC has been developed over the past two years by the Nosara Integral Development Association (ADIN – Asociación de Desarrollo Integral de Nosara) and other organized groups.
Marco Avila, president of ADIN, stated that the Nosara Council is a necessity, as the Municipality of Nicoya is unable to collect all of the tax revenue the district produces.
“The district has grown a lot and here (in Nosara) there is a lot of tax evasion. If we had a District Council, we would be able to collect taxes well, give back projects to the community and guarantee the people better living conditions,” the president explained.
According to Avila, there is currently a group of lawyers studying the case, to put together a concrete plan and determine the procedures that should be followed if they decide to execute the plan.
To establish a MDC, such as the one being proposed in Nosara, it is necessary to hold a referendum, verified by the Supreme Elections Tribunal (TSE – Tribunal Supremo de Elecciones), in which at least 13% of Nicoya’s electorate would have to vote, according to municipal rules.
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