Communes of the City of Buenos Aires

The City of Buenos Aires is organized into 15 Communes. These Communes have jurisdiction over trees, green spaces, sidewalk maintenance, paving, and the oversight of public space use. They are decentralized units of political and administrative management that, in some cases, encompass more than one neighborhood.

The Communes have exclusive and concurrent powers with the City Government. Among the former are the maintenance of secondary roads and green spaces, the administration of their assets, legislative initiative, and the preparation of their budget and government program.

Each commune has a governing body composed of the Communal Board and its President. The seven members of the Board are elected by the residents and serve four-year terms. The President of the Board is the candidate who receives the most votes in the election. In addition, each commune has an Advisory Council made up of representatives from non-governmental neighborhood organizations , political parties, networks, and other forms of organization with interests or activities within the commune's territory. This Council advises the Communal Board and can also, among other things, channel demands, present proposals, and define priorities.

Currently, as a result of the transfer of powers promoted by the Secretariat of Decentralization, and with the aim of bringing the State closer to the residents, the Communes have jurisdiction over trees, green spaces, and the maintenance of sidewalks and asphalt. Furthermore, within their shared responsibilities, the Communes already exercise police powers when it comes to monitoring the use of public space.

Decentralization began to be discussed following the establishment of the Autonomous City of Buenos Aires with the reform of the National Constitution in 1994. The initiative is part of a global trend that includes major cities around the world such as Barcelona, ​​New York, São Paulo, and Mexico City.