José Ortiz de la Renta (c. 1765 – c. 1850) was

Mayor In many countries, a mayor is the highest-ranking official in a Municipal corporation, municipal government such as that of a city or a town. Worldwide, there is a wide variance in local laws and customs regarding the powers and responsibilitie ...

Ponce, Puerto Rico Ponce ( , , ) is a city and a Municipalities of Puerto Rico, municipality on the southern coast of Puerto Rico. The most populated city outside the San Juan, Puerto Rico, San Juan metropolitan area, Ponce was founded on August 12, 1692Some publ ...

, from 1812 to 1814, 1815 to 1816, 1820 to 1821, 1823 to 1826, 1837 to 1838, 1842 to 1843, 1843 to 1844, and in 1846. He has the distinction of having held the office of mayor of Ponce the most — eight times. He was an

hacendado A ''hacienda'' ( or ; or ) is an estate (or '' finca''), similar to a Roman ''latifundium'', in Spain and the former Spanish Empire. With origins in Andalusia, ''haciendas'' were variously plantations (perhaps including animals or orchards) ...

Background

José Casimiro Ortíz de la Renta José Casimiro Ortíz de la Renta (ca. 1760 – ca. 1830) was List of mayors of Ponce, Puerto Rico, Mayor of Ponce, Puerto Rico, during two short periods in 1821. Background José Casimiro Ortíz de la Renta was a descendant of the founder ...

and

Francisco Ortíz de la Renta Francisco is the Spanish and Portuguese form of the masculine given name ''Franciscus''. Meaning of the name Francisco In Spanish, people with the name Francisco are sometimes nicknamed " Paco". San Francisco de Asís was known as ''Pater Comm ...

, José Ortiz de la Renta was a descendant of the founders of San Germán, on the hills of Santa Marta, next to Río Guanajibo, in 1573. He was an

hacienda A ''hacienda'' ( or ; or ) is an estate (or '' finca''), similar to a Roman '' latifundium'', in Spain and the former Spanish Empire. With origins in Andalusia, ''haciendas'' were variously plantations (perhaps including animals or orchards ...

owner and in 1827 owned 16 slaves.

First mayoral term (1812)

As Ponce has had a municipal council since 1812, Mayor Ortiz de la Renta was the first mayor of Ponce with a legislative council. José Ortiz de la Renta was the first '' alcalde constitutional'' elected by popular vote, in 1812, as a result of the '' Constitución de Cádiz'' (Cádiz Constitution). During his first mayoral term, Ortiz de la Renta was mayor from 1 January 1812 to 31 December 1813. His deputy mayor was Joaquin Mercado, and the ''regidores'' in the municipal council were: Juan Gonzalez, Pedro Vazquez, Santiago Suarez, Juan Ramon Quintana, Miguel Ortiz de Mathos, Antonio Ortiz de la Renta, Jose Antonio Collazo, and Clemente del Toro.

Second mayoral term (1815)

During his second mayoral term, Ortiz de la Renta was mayor from 1 January 1815 to 2 January 1816. He led the municipality in the capacity of

Teniente a guerra Teniente a guerra (roughly translated into English as "War lieutenant") was a title used in times of the Spanish colonial Empire to describe a position exercising duties similar to those exercised by a town or city mayor today (2019). A tenient ...

Third mayoral term (1820)

During his third mayoral term, Ortiz de la Renta performed again as an ''alcalde constitucional.'' In 1820, the first known division of the Ponce territory into barrios took place. During his third mayoral term, Ortiz de la Renta was mayor from the moment José de Toro left the mayoral administration sometime after 3 June 1820 until 31 December 1820.Eduardo Neumann Gandía. ''Verdadera y Auténtica Historia de la Ciudad de Ponce.'' 1913. San Juan, Puerto Rico: Instituto de Cultura Puertorriqueña. p. 276. Ortiz de la Renta's third mayoral term coincided with Ponce's second

ayuntamiento ''Ayuntamiento'' ()In other languages of Spain: * (). * (). * (). is the general term for the town council, or ''cabildo'', of a municipality or, sometimes, as is often the case in Spain and Latin America, for the municipality itself. is mai ...

. The ayuntamiento was composed of Ortiz de la Renta as mayor (in the role of ''Alcalde constitucional''); Gregorio Medina (''Alcalde segundo''); ''

Regidor A regidor (plural: ''regidores'') is a member of a council of municipalities in Spain and Latin America. Portugal also used to have the same office of ''regedor''. Mexico In Mexico, an ayuntamiento (municipal council) is composed of a municipa ...

es'' were: Fernando Gandia, Antonio Algarra, Juan Pablo Aponte, José Pica, Domingo Clavell, Antonio González, Antonio Vazquez Zayas, Juan José Quintana; and ''Síndicos Procuradores'' were: Benito Paz Falcón and Esteban Dros.

Fourth mayoral term (1823)

During his forth mayoral term, Ortiz de la Renta performed as ''alcalde propietario.'' However, little is known about this period as there are no Acts in the Municipality for the period 1824 to 1834, affecting the period while he was mayor as well. On 10 March 1823, the

barrio ''Barrio'' () is a Spanish language, Spanish word that means "Quarter (urban subdivision), quarter" or "neighborhood". In the modern Spanish language, it is generally defined as each area of a city delimited by functional (e.g. residential, comm ...

s of Cayabo and Caonillas, which on that date were still part of the municipality of Ponce, ceased to be part of Ponce and became part of Juana Diaz, and later, in 1917, formed their own municipality, Villalba. In July 1825, there is a revolt in Ponce by slaves due to the large number of slaves that were up for sale, but the revolt failed. During his fourth mayoral term, Ortiz de la Renta was mayor from 1 January 1823 to 31 December 1825.

Fifth mayoral term (1837)

During his fifth mayoral term, Ortiz de la Renta performed as an ''

alcalde ''Alcalde'' (; ) is the traditional Spanish municipal magistrate, who had both judicial and Administration (government), administrative functions. An ''alcalde'' was, in the absence of a corregidor (position), corregidor, the presiding officer o ...

.'' During this term he was mayor from 1 January 1837 to 31 December 1837.

Sixth mayoral term (1842)

During his sixth mayoral term, Ortiz de la Renta performed as ''alcalde.'' During this term, Ortiz de la Renta was mayor from 6 January 1842 to 31 December 1842.

Seventh mayoral term (1843)

During his seventh mayoral term, Ortiz de la Renta performed again as ''alcalde propietario.'' During this term, he was mayor from the day when mayor Juan Rondon left city hall in 1843 until 31 December 1843.

Eighth mayoral term (1846)

During his eighth mayoral term, Ortiz de la Renta performed again as ''alcalde.'' During this eighth and last mayoral term, he mayored from 1 April 1846 to 30 June 1846.

Honors

Ortiz de la Renta is honored at Ponce's Park of Illustrious Ponce Citizens. Of over 100 Ponce mayors, only six are honored there.''Politics.''
TravelPonce. Retrieved 18 June 2012. In Ponce there is a street in Urbanizacion Las Delicias of Barrio Magueyes named after him.