Mexicali Comptroller Héctor Ceseña was criticized by a business association for the purchase of a new vehicle with city funds.

The Entrepreneurial Confederation of Mexicali, or Coparmex in Spanish, said the comptroller purchased a Jeep Grand Cherokee without an RFP with the Autoproductos Baja dealer.

In a prepared statement Coparmex President Octavio Sandoval said the $46,000 spent in the vehicle could have been spent by the police.

The association filed for a Public Records request to obtain the information.

Although Sandoval asked Comptroller Ceseña to justify the purchase, the city official declined to comment.

The association called city authorities to better invest such funds in other areas.

The police have no uniforms, patrol cars, and weapons, the association said.

Sandoval called the city to implement an austerity program.