The municipalities are hereby authorized to designate tourism improvement districts through an ordinance, which shall be delimited at the request of the associations constituted according to this chapter and to the ordinances approved by the municipality (or municipalities in those cases in which the real property of said districts is located in more than one municipality) within whose territorial boundaries the tourism improvement district is located. Said districts may include adjacent or non-adjacent properties, but shall only include real property belonging to the members of the association, and shall constitute areas with common characteristics, interests and problems in which, through the mechanisms provided in this chapter, plans for solving problems and improvement proposals may be adopted to foster and develop those works, services and projects deemed necessary or convenient for the development of the proposed tourism improvement district.
The petition made to a municipality to establish a tourism improvement district shall not be considered unless the Company has determined that the proposed district shall substantially further and strengthen the tourist industry in the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico. Said determination must be a part of the petition made to a municipality to establish a district under this chapter.
The municipal governments may refuse to designate tourism improvement districts in their municipalities even though they have been endorsed by the Company when they decide that such a designation is out of order, after having evaluated the petition for the establishment of a tourism improvement district pursuant to the provisions of §§ 6652 and 6653 of this title.
History —Aug. 8, 1998, No. 207, § 1.004, eff. 60 days after Aug. 8, 1998.