Fiscal board greenlights scaled‑down pilot for CRIM’s cadaster update

Municipal Revenue Collections Center Executive Director Javier García Cintrón

By THE STAR STAFF

The Financial Oversight and Management Board has approved a limited, $2 million pilot program for the Municipal Revenue Collections Center (CRIM by its acronym in Spanish) to begin updating Puerto Rico’s Digital Cadaster, or property register -- far short of the $6.8 million and 214 temporary hires the agency originally sought.

In a July 10 letter to CRIM Executive Director Javier García Cintrón, the oversight board said it now has “a better understanding” of the cost structure behind CRIM’s proposal to identify ownership information for more than 56,000 properties and modernize the cadaster. CRIM currently manages over 1.3 million properties with 347 career employees and 56 temporary workers; the initial request would have increased its workforce by 54%.

The oversight board noted that recent adjustments to CRIM’s Classification and Remuneration Plan pushed projected annual costs for the proposed expansion to roughly $9.4 million. Still, stronger‑than‑expected property tax collections this year mean CRIM expects to close fiscal 2026 with a $2.3 million operating surplus -- funds the board is now allowing the agency to tap for a smaller‑scale launch.

The approved pilot is intended to test CRIM’s operational model, validate assumptions about property ownership identification, and measure performance before any broader rollout. The oversight board framed the effort as a chance for CRIM to “demonstrate results in a controlled manner and build the evidentiary foundation for future investment.”

CRIM must now deliver, within 30 days, a detailed work plan outlining the pilot’s scope, timeline, milestones and expected impact on collections; a hiring plan for provisional staff; and signed MOUs with participating municipalities covering reimbursement caps, performance metrics and compliance requirements.

The pilot must show measurable progress in ownership identification, title investigations, appraisals and registration of updated information in the Digital Cadaster. At its conclusion, CRIM will be required to submit a results report to the oversight board.

If the agency fully uses the reserved funds, meets performance standards, and seeks to expand, it will need to submit phased requests for additional municipalities. Each expansion would require separate board approval before any new hiring.

The oversight board emphasized that all Puerto Rico Oversight, Management and Economic Stability Act, or PROMESA,  requirements and CRIM’s certified fiscal year 2027 budget remain in force. It also underscored the importance of an accurate cadaster as a cornerstone of municipal revenue collection.

The letter was signed by Robert F. Mujica Jr., the board’s executive director, and copied to multiple municipal leaders and officials.