Mexico's 2,469 municipalities constitute the second and most local level of administrative division in the country's two-tier system. Municipalities function as the primary unit of local government, headed by a municipal president (presidente municipal) and council elected every three years. They hold constitutional authority over local matters including urban planning, public services such as water supply and waste management, public safety through municipal police forces, local infrastructure maintenance, and the collection of property taxes. The size and capacity of municipalities vary significantly, from small rural communities to major metropolitan areas like Mexico City's boroughs. This administrative structure, established in Article 115 of the Mexican Constitution, grants municipalities a degree of autonomy in managing local affairs while operating within the framework of their respective states.