Providence, RI – Today, during a special meeting, the Providence City Council voted 11 to 3 override Mayor Jorge Elorza’s veto of 10 ballot questions, including creating a hybrid school board of elected and appointed members. The Council has a total of 15 members. A supermajority of 11 councilors voted in favor of the override. 3 members voted against the override, and 1 councilor was absent.
“The City Council has given the people of Providence the right to vote on these important questions during the upcoming November 8th election. Democracy has prevailed,” said Council President John Igliozzi.
The city’s Charter Review Commission made the ballot recommendations after seven months of meeting each week, public outreach, public hearings, Zoom meetings, and receiving testimony from stakeholders, citizens, and department heads.
Separately, all 14 Councilors present voted in favor of supporting a $125 million bond referendum to fund infrastructure improvements for Providence Public School buildings.
“Providence students deserve to learn in clean and safe school buildings. That’s why I fully support making this investment in our school infrastructure, but ultimately, we’re investing in our children,” added Council President Igliozzi.
The ballot questions will be presented to the Secretary of State’s Office later today to be placed on the November ballot.
“Today, the mayor has indicated he will veto the Council’s approved resolution, which would place 10 ballot questions in front of Providence voters this November – including the decision to create a hybrid school board of elected and appointed members.
The mayor’s reckless actions are precisely why the city needs a hybrid school board. City residents should not be beholden to one person making unilateral decisions. A hybrid school board promotes more community involvement and more representation from all our neighborhoods.
While the mayor focuses on a single ballot question, his veto collectively will destroy seven months of hard work and late nights put in by the Charter Review Commission, including four of his appointees. The Commission meets every 10 years. Why not let the people of Providence decide? The mayor is denying residents the right to vote by circumventing democracy.
The City Council will consider an override of the veto during a special meeting next week.”
“These past few weeks, there have been two shooting incidents, one at Billy Taylor Park, the latest this Saturday afternoon in the heart of our Summit neighborhood. Both struck a personal chord for me,” said Councilwoman for Ward 3, Nirva LaFortune. “My children have played at Billy Taylor Park, and my daughter’s young friend, who has been part of our family with sleepovers and bike rides, reached out to me concerned about the shooting near Camp Street and Dexterdale Road. She lives three houses away, where multiple shell casings were discovered on the ground. This must end. How are these young people getting such easy access to guns? We must step up our efforts to prevent these crimes from happening. We need to pass stronger sense laws, invest in our neighborhoods, implement and execute a public safety plan, and get back to the basics of community policing. I ask anyone with ideas to please come to our community meeting on May 31, 5:30 P.M, at Billy Taylor Park.”
“I would like to thank Governor McKee, Commerce Secretary Pryor, Mayor Elorza, and the team at High Rock Development for their leadership in revitalizing the iconic Superman building in the heart of Downtown Providence.
I look forward to engaging with stakeholders and community members as we move forward with this process to bring this hallmark of the Providence skyline back to life. This moment is a unique and exciting opportunity to boost our local economy and reinvigorate Downtown and the City of Providence,” Councilman John Goncalves (Ward 1).
Statement from Councilwoman Jo-Ann Ryan Regarding Illegal ATVs in Providence
“I was pleased to learn that the Department of Public Safety and the Mayor’s administration today announced plans to proactively enforce the ATV laws that the City Council has enacted. As we approach the warmer months, the threat of these dangerous and illegal ATVs looms over our neighborhoods.
As a freshman Councilor, I got to work drafting and enacting legislation that would keep dangerous ATVs off our City streets. In doing so, my Council colleagues and I created a clear, legal framework that prohibited the operation of illegal ATVs and gave the Providence Police Department the power to seize and destroy any ATVs operating illegally.
Since my legislation was enacted and the City Council created the ATV taskforce, law enforcement officials and local leaders came together to create strategies which resulted in 250 illegal ATVs being removed from our streets.
Despite our advocacy, these laws do not work unless they are enforced. I look forward to the Police Department’s continued commitment to these laws, which will serve to protect Providence drivers, pedestrians and bikers.
I encourage all residents to alert law enforcement and to report the location and operation of illegal ATVs and dirt bikes in Providence by calling 401-680-8288. Let us all do our part to keep our city safe,” stated Finance Chairwoman Jo-Ann Ryan.
