by Council Staff | Jul 16, 2026 | Add Council Logo, Council News, Housing, Jill Davidson, Juan M. Pichardo, Juan Pichardo, Press Release, Rachel Miller
Providence, RI – At tonight’s City Council meeting, councilors passed several major ordinances before recessing for the summer. The next regular City Council meeting will convene on September 17, 2026.
The first ordinance, the Providence 8 Law Qualifications, governs how Providence grants the 8% tax treatment within the city. The 8 Law ordinance will stop the misuse of the low-income tax treatment by wealthy developers who do not substantively build the affordable housing that the state’s 8 Law was meant for. The state’s 8 Law designates the tax treatment for low-income housing, but does not give a definition of low-income, nor specify affordability levels, nor address whether it should be applied to the units themselves or the entirety of the building. This ambiguity creates space for municipalities to administer the program as they deem appropriate and beneficial.
In April 2024, the City Council passed by a 13-2 vote an 8 Law ordinance that would have applied the low-income tax treatment only to the restricted units themselves. The ordinance was then vetoed by Mayor Brett Smiley. Rather than just applying to individual units, the new version passed for the second and final time tonight sets affordability thresholds that work with other low-income housing programs. After taking into consideration feedback from affordable housing developers, the sponsors created an ordinance that will fulfill the intended purpose of the state 8 Law while aligning eligibility with the federal Low-Income Housing Tax Credit and other affordability programs, together ensuring that the tax treatment is only used for properties with meaningful low-income housing.
“After years of work, tonight we put into law that a tax treatment intended for low-income housing must actually be used for low-income housing,” said Council President Rachel Miller (Ward 13). “Wealthy developers have been taking advantage of the City’s most generous tax treatment without providing units affordable to low-income residents. Take 68 Dorrance, for example: a 44-unit market-rate building where only 9 units are income-restricted, and none are restricted for low-income households. Tonight, the Council said clearly: that is not what 8 Law is for. This ordinance protects affordable housing and city revenue by making sure luxury developers pay their fair share.”
Passage of this ordinance is considered to be a major legislative success for the majority of the City Council that has worked on 8 Law reform for the entirety of this term. Besides legislating to end the abuse of the low-income tax treatment, the City Council has pursued a judicial route to properly applying 8 Law. The Council currently has a case before the Rhode Island Supreme Court regarding Buff Chase’s firm Cornish Associates, who have a deal to receive the low-income tax treatment on10 buildings, including commercial portions, without meaningful affordability restrictions.
Councilors also passed for a second and final time an ordinance modernizing procurement procedures for the Providence Public School District (PPSD).
The ordinance, introduced by Councilor Jill S. Davidson (Ward 2), will establish a tiered procurement framework for PPSD following the district’s return to local control. Currently, purchases above $10,000 for supplies and $20,000 for construction are required to go before the Board of Contract and Supply (BOCS). Under the new system, routine purchases, which constitute the majority of procurement activity, would be handled by the schools themselves, and only multi-year, sole-source, or $500K+ contracts would be subject to City review.
“Sometimes multiple levels of review are essential to ensure good governance and financial oversight, but for most routine purchases it just isn’t a good use of taxpayer dollars or city time to have so many levels of red tape,” said Councilor Davidson. “The City is committed to setting our schools up for success this fall, and making sure they get the supplies they need in a timely fashion is a great start.”
The ordinance came via agreement between Councilor Davidson, Mayor Smiley, and School Board President Ty’Relle Stephens, announced in June.
Councilors also passed for the second and final time the BUILD Act, which will eliminate taxation during the construction period of qualifying affordable housing development, in a move that sponsors say will reduce a barrier to increasing the supply of affordable housing in Providence.
Currently, 8 Law only goes into effect upon the occupancy of rental units since the tax treatment is determined by rental income. In between the start of construction and occupancy, properties are taxed at the regular rate.
The BUILD Act will change that by providing a two-year tax stabilization period for eligible affordable development projects before tenants move in and are taxed at 8% of scheduled rental income. By removing the tax burden from the start, the BUILD Act will clear a difficult barrier to the construction of more affordable housing, especially the deeply affordable housing needed by the lowest income households.
Finally, councilors granted second and final passage to an ordinance on deed protections. The ordinance creates a de facto fraud alert system that will notify enrolled property owners whenever a document affecting their deed or title is submitted for recording.
“Protecting Providence homeowners from the devastating impact of home deed fraud has been a personal mission of mine since my time in the State Senate,” said City Council President Pro Tempore and lead ordinance sponsor Juan M. Pichardo (Ward 9). “This ordinance establishes a crucial line of defense, ensuring homeowners are no longer left in the dark about unauthorized changes to their property records that could impact their most important lifetime asset. We are delivering peace of mind and proactive security directly to our neighborhoods.”
In June 2026, Governor Dan McKee signed House Bill 7551aa and Senate Bill 2715A into law, establishing real estate title fraud as a criminal offence and allowing municipalities to refuse to record suspicious documents from unauthorized submitters. Providence’s ordinance will become effective a year ahead of the state law.
The ordinances will now be transmitted to Mayor Smiley for his signature.
by Council Staff | Jul 2, 2026 | Add Council Logo, Council News, Housing, Jill Davidson, Miguel Sanchez, Press Release, Shelley Peterson
Providence, RI – At tonight’s city council meeting, councilors unanimously passed juvenile hearing board reforms that will fundamentally transform how the justice system treats young people by creating a clearer, fairer path to diversion for Providence youth.
The Juvenile Hearing Board (JHB), Providence’s community-based alternative to Family Court for eligible young people, connects youth with accountability, support services, and non-carceral responses to non-violent crimes. Instead of pushing children unnecessarily into the traditional court system, the JHB provides real opportunities to make amends, learn from mistakes, and move forward.
“Tonight’s vote answered a fundamental question for city government: what do we owe our children?” said Councilor Miguel Sanchez (Ward 6). “We owe them fairness, opportunity, consistency, forgiveness, and help. Every young person deserves a real chance to get on the right path—not to be pushed unnecessarily into the endless cycle known as the school-to-prison pipeline. The Juvenile Hearing Board can change a kid’s life, and under this ordinance, so many more Providence youth will have access to that chance, regardless of timing, luck, or which officer happens to be on duty.”
Under the current system, when an eligible young person is arrested, referral to the Juvenile Hearing Board is entirely at the discretion of the detective on duty. Over the course of three years, officers only referred 108 of the 508 young people eligible for the JHB to the Board. Additionally, not a single referral occurred during the evening shift, suggesting a child’s access to diversion was based not on the nature of their actions, but on circumstantial factors outside the child’s control. The new reforms will ensure fuller and more appropriate use of the JHB by making referrals automatic for eligible youth arrested for most first or second nonviolent offenses.
“Investment in schools, renovation of our parks, and reform of the Juvenile Hearing Board are all a part of the same system that wants to give our kids happy, healthy, safe childhoods while also setting them up for successful adulthoods,” said Luisa Sarante, the Juvenile Hearing Board Coordinator. “The JHB is there to make sure that setbacks don’t result in ruined childhoods or adulthoods that fail before they’ve even begun. These reforms mean more second chances, more opportunities to grow and learn from mistakes, and a more compassionate and socially responsible Providence.”
The ordinance will now be transmitted to Mayor Brett Smiley for his signature and will go into effect in 90 days.
Councilors also considered for the first time both an ordinance that would reduce exploitation of 8 Law in Providence and an ordinance that would remove a cost barrier to affordable housing development and construction in Providence.
The first ordinance, the Providence 8 Law Qualifications, establishes local rules for how Providence grants the 8% tax treatment within the city. According to sponsors, the 8 Law ordinance would end misuse of a low-income tax treatment by wealthy developers, who often use it for market rate or luxury properties.
In April 2024, the City Council passed by a 13-2 vote an 8 Law ordinance that would have applied the low-income tax treatment only to the restricted units themselves. The ordinance was then vetoed by Mayor Brett Smiley. Rather than just applying to individual units, the new version considered tonight sets affordability thresholds that work with other low-income housing programs. Working closely with affordable housing developers, the sponsors put forth an ordinance that aligns eligibility with the federal Low-Income Housing Tax Credit and other affordability programs, while ensuring that tax treatment is only used for properties with meaningful low-income housing.
Councilors also considered the BUILD Act, which would eliminate taxation during the construction period of affordable housing development, in a move that sponsors say will reduce a barrier to increasing the supply of affordable housing in Providence.
Currently, 8 Law only goes into effect upon the occupancy of rental units since the tax treatment is determined by rental income. In between the start of construction and occupancy, properties are taxed at the regular rate.
The BUILD Act will change that by providing a two-year tax stabilization period for eligible affordable development projects before tenants move in and are taxed at 8% of scheduled rental income. By removing the tax burden from the start, the BUILD Act would clear a difficult barrier to the construction of more affordable housing, especially the deeply affordable housing needed by the lowest income households.
Both the 8 Law ordinance and the BUILD Act require a second passage before becoming law.
Last week, the Working Group on Providence City Council’s Role in PPSD Governance concluded its work with an agreement among city leaders to advance an ordinance modernizing procurement procedures for the Providence Public School District (PPSD).
The ordinance, which Councilor Jill S. Davidson (Ward 2) introduced at tonight’s meeting, would establish a tiered procurement framework for PPSD following the district’s return to local control. Currently, purchases above $10,000 for supplies and $20,000 for construction are required to go before the Board of Contract and Supply (BOCS). Under the new system, routine purchases, which constitute the vast majority of procurement activity, would be handled by the schools themselves, and only multi-year, sole-source, or $500K+ contracts would be subject to City review.
Councilors voted in favor of the ordinance for the first time this evening. Per Sec. 1007 (c) of the Providence Home Rule Charter, this ordinance requires a two-thirds vote to become law. A public hearing will be held on the proposal on July 13th at 5:30 p.m. in the City Council Chamber before it returns to the full City Council for a final vote.
Finally, councilors passed a resolution to change the name of the street that is home to Rhode Island’s School for the Deaf from Corliss Park to Jeanie Lippitt Circle. The request for the name change, which honors Lippitt’s role in inspiring advocacy for Deaf and hard-of-hearing education, came from students at the school, whose thorough research and presentation to Councilwoman Shelley Peterson (Ward 14) and other local leaders led to the name change.
“I’m so proud of these students,” said Councilwoman Peterson. “They recognized a problem – that their school’s address was too often confused with nearby Corliss Park – and came up with a solution that was both practical and meaningful.”
The next regular City Council meeting will convene on July 16, 2026.
by Council Staff | Jun 24, 2026 | Add Council Logo, Council News, Jill Davidson, Press Release
Proposed ordinance would help schools get what they need faster while preserving oversight for major contracts
Providence, RI – The Working Group on Providence City Council’s Role in PPSD Governance has concluded its work with an agreement among Working Group Chair Councilor Jill S. Davidson (Ward 2), Mayor Brett P. Smiley, and Providence School Board President Ty’Relle Stephens to advance an ordinance modernizing procurement procedures for the Providence Public School District (PPSD).
The ordinance, which Councilor Davidson intends to introduce at the July 2nd City Council meeting, would establish a tiered procurement framework for PPSD following the district’s return to local control. It directly addresses a problem identified in the 2019 Johns Hopkins review: a duplicative procurement process that often slowed the district’s ability to secure the materials, services, and supports students and educators need.
Currently, purchases above $10,000 for supplies and $20,000 for construction are required to go before the Board of Contract and Supply (BOCS). Under the agreement, routine school purchases would move through a faster school-side approval process, while BOCS review would remain required for multi-year contracts, sole-source contracts, and contracts of $500,000 or more. The new framework is designed to help schools obtain what they need more efficiently while preserving City oversight for contracts with significant fiscal exposure.
“Returning Providence schools to local control can’t mean returning to the same systems that weren’t working,” said Councilor Davidson. “This agreement gives us a clear path forward: routine school purchases can move faster, major contracts will still receive appropriate City oversight, and competitive bidding requirements remain fully intact. I am grateful to the School Board, Mayor’s Office, PPSD, RIDE, and every member of the working group for helping us land on a practical solution that protects students, schools, and taxpayers as we build on our strengths to ensure that the Providence Public Schools serve each and every student as effectively as possible.”
“Since taking office, my administration has been working to ensure that procurement is easier and more efficient in preparation for return to local management of the Providence School District,” said Mayor Smiley. “The framework we have developed alongside our partners at the School Board and City Council makes this process more seamless and ensures our students, educators, and faculty will more easily and more quickly have access to the tools and resources they need.”
“Local control has to come with systems that work for our schools and, most importantly, for our students,” said President Stephens. “This agreement recognizes PPSD’s responsibility to govern its own procurement while maintaining appropriate oversight and accountability. This is a practical agreement that reflects local leaders coming together, putting students first, and doing what is right. Most importantly, it will help ensure that our students and educators get what they need to succeed without unnecessary delays.”
The working group was established to examine the City Council’s responsibilities as PPSD returns from state control to local governance. Members quickly identified procurement as the central issue requiring immediate reform, with procurement delays and duplicative review processes identified prior to state intervention as barriers to effective district operations.
Under the proposed framework, the City would separate two questions that are currently treated as one: whether a procurement must go through a competitive bidding process, and whether that procurement requires review by BOCS.
Competitive procurement requirements would remain unchanged. Purchases above the applicable threshold would still be required to follow state and local procurement laws. The ordinance would instead change the review and approval pathway for school procurements, allowing routine purchases to proceed through a faster school-side process while reserving BOCS review for contracts with greater financial significance.
Fiscal Year 2025 procurement data reviewed by the working group demonstrated the impact of this approach. PPSD executed 459 procurements valued at more than $10,000, including 220 in July alone, as schools prepared for the start of the academic year. Under the new proposed framework, only 19 contracts would have been referred to BOCS.
The working group’s final report recommends adoption of the ordinance as a practical and durable step toward a smoother return to local control. The framework preserves transparency, competitive procurement, and fiscal safeguards while reducing duplicative review for routine school purchases.
The proposed ordinance is expected to be introduced at the July 2nd meeting of the Providence City Council. Per the Providence Home Rule Charter, the ordinance will require a public hearing and a two-thirds vote of the City Council and would apply to school department contracts only.
by Council Staff | Jun 18, 2026 | Add Council Logo, Council News, Miguel Sanchez, Press Release
Providence, RI – At tonight’s city council meeting, councilors passed the City’s $636 million budget for fiscal year 2027.
Under the leadership of Chair Miguel Sanchez, the Special Committee on Ways and Means hosted two public hearings and met with every city department to review the proposed budget. After thoughtful vetting, councilors negotiated essential new positions to expand capacity for sustainability and clean energy work across city programs, restore critical staffing at PEMA to improve emergency preparedness, expand PERA’s civilian police oversight capacity, and create a new position to support the city’s veterans. The Council also meaningfully increased funding for sports programming for city youth, community libraries that will allow for expanded hours, and support for our unhoused neighbors via Mathewson Street Church. Together, these changes reflect the Council’s broader priorities by strengthening core city services, investing in neighborhood quality of life, and making city government more transparent and accountable to the people it serves.
“I want to thank my fellow councilors, as well as the Finance Department, for making a difficult job as straightforward as possible,” said Ways and Means Chair Miguel Sanchez (Ward 6). “We spent the last several months meeting with all the department directors to make sure that every taxpayer dollar is being spent responsibly. The resulting amendments to the 2027 Providence City budget ensure that the city has the staffing and resources necessary to function at its very best.”
Councilors also voted for the first time in favor of ordinance amendments that would reform how the justice system treats young people, intending to create a clearer, fairer path to diversion for Providence youth.
The Juvenile Hearing Board is Providence’s community-based alternative to Family Court for eligible young people, helping connect youth with accountability, support services, and non-carceral responses to non-violent crimes. Instead of pushing children unnecessarily into the traditional court system, the JHB gives young people the opportunity to repair harm, learn from mistakes, and move forward.
Under the current system, when an eligible young person is arrested, referral to the Juvenile Hearing Board is entirely discretionary—determined by the detective on duty. Over the last three years, 508 young people were eligible for the JHB, but only 108 were actually referred. Referrals essentially never happen at night, meaning a child’s access to diversion can depend on timing, luck, or which officer is at work.
The amendments would make JHB referral automatic for eligible youth arrested for first or second nonviolent offenses, with exceptions. The goal, according to sponsors, is to ensure that access to diversion is guided by clear, consistent rules, rather than individual discretion, and that more Providence youth have access to community-based accountability, support, and repair before being pushed into the criminal legal system.
The ordinance will require a second passage by the Council before becoming law.
The next regular city council meeting will convene on July 2, 2026.
by Council Staff | Jun 11, 2026 | Add Council Logo, Council News, Housing, Mary Kay Harris, Press Release, Rachel Miller
Committee on Ways and Means passes 8 Law ordinance and the BUILD Act
Providence, RI – Tonight, the Committee on Ways and Means unanimously recommended two ordinances to the full council addressing housing and fair taxation.
The first, Providence 8 Law Qualifications, establishes local rules for how Providence grants the 8% tax treatment within the city. According to sponsors, the 8 Law ordinance would end misuse of a low-income tax treatment by wealthy developers, who use it for largely market rate or luxury properties.
Per state law, low-income housing may receive a special tax rate, with taxes calculated at 8% of their gross scheduled rental income. Because the law lacks clear eligibility standards, that benefit has been applied more broadly than intended, including to luxury apartment buildings with only a limited number of affordable units, and even to commercial portions of mixed-use developments. The Providence 8 Law ordinance would close these loopholes by defining exactly what properties are eligible for the 8% tax rate, ensuring that the low-income tax treatment is actually used for low-income and affordable housing.
“Providence is in a crushing housing crisis, and every tool we use to support affordable housing should actually benefit low-income residents,” said Council President and Act Sponsor Rachel Miller (Ward 13). “This ordinance makes clear that the 8% tax treatment is for low-income housing, not a giveaway for ultrawealthy developers to do with as they please. After the mayor vetoed this effort last year, the Council listened to feedback from the tax assessor, affordable housing partners, and community stakeholders. This reintroduced version reduces administrative burden, aligns eligibility with other low-income housing and taxation standards, and protects existing affordable housing that relies on this tax treatment. I’m grateful to Chair Pichardo and the members of the HOPE committee for advancing a fair, practical ordinance that will help ensure public dollars are used for their intended purpose: keeping Providence affordable for the people who live here.”
In April 2024, the City Council passed by a 13-2 vote an 8 Law ordinance that would have applied the low-income tax treatment only to the restricted units themselves. The ordinance was then vetoed by Mayor Brett Smiley. Rather than just applying to individual units, the new version heard this evening sets affordability thresholds that align with other low-income housing programs. Working closely with affordable housing developers, the sponsors put forth an ordinance that aligns eligibility with the federal Low-Income Housing Tax Credit.
Additionally, existing properties will continue to be eligible as part of a clause that preserves eligibility for property where either:
- at least 20% of residential units are restricted to households earning 80% or less of the area medium income (AMI) or
- at least 40% of residential units are restricted to households earning 120% AMI or less.
The second, the BUILD Act, would eliminate taxation during the construction period of affordable housing development, in a move that sponsors say will reduce one barrier to affordable housing development.
Currently, 8 Law only goes into effect upon occupancy of the rental units, since the tax treatment is determined by rental income. In between the start of construction and occupancy, properties are taxed at the regular rate. This is especially problematic when unexpected delays arise, forcing developers truly committed to building affordable housing units to face tax bills they may not be able to afford.
The BUILD Act will change that by providing a two-year tax stabilization period for eligible affordable development projects before tenants move in and they are taxed at 8% of scheduled rental income. By removing the tax burden from the start, the BUILD Act would clear a difficult barrier to the construction of more affordable housing, especially the deeply affordable housing needed by the lowest income households.
“These laws work together to make sure 8 Law in this city is fair to all,” said Councilwoman and Act sponsor Mary Kay Harris (Ward 11). “No more giving money away to developers and landlords who don’t act in good faith. Instead, we’re going to help legitimate affordable housing developers make their projects possible. Appropriate 8 Law taxation is finally coming to Providence.”
Alongside these efforts to build a more just housing and taxation landscape in the City of Providence, the Council has taken a host of actions to address the housing crisis, including working to increase the supply of affordable housing by allocating tens of millions of dollars in new funding for the Providence Housing Trust Fund, prioritizing inclusionary zoning policies in the 2024 Comprehensive Plan, and passing rent stabilization which was then vetoed by Mayor Smiley. The Council also created a requirement for the Housing Trust Fund to be used strictly for low- and moderate-income housing (below 80% AMI). To learn more about the City Council’s work to combat the housing crisis, visit the Housing Hub.
The BUILD Act and 8 Law ordinances will be considered for the first time by the full council at the June 18th City Council meeting on the third floor of City Hall.
by Council Staff | Jun 4, 2026 | Add Council Logo, Council News, Press Release, Rachel Miller
Providence, RI – Tonight, councilors unanimously passed amendments to strengthen civilian oversight of the Providence Police Department by expanding the Providence External Review Authority’s (PERA’s) oversight powers.
The updated ordinance will correct significant inefficiency in PERA’s investigative process by giving PERA direct access to many internal police systems and records for official PERA functions. The ordinance will help reduce the time it takes to conduct proper investigations, support more thorough investigations, and ensure PERA can carry out its responsibilities with greater independence, while including significant confidentiality protections.
“Tonight’s vote empowers PERA to fulfill its original mission—to provide effective civilian oversight of the Providence Police Department,” said Council President Rachel Miller. “For too long, PERA has not had the tools, access, or authority needed to carry out full and transparent investigations on behalf of city residents. This ordinance helps make the Council’s promise real, which will ultimately strengthen the trust between residents and the city institutions meant to serve them.”
The amendments also add a directive to periodically audit Internal Affairs investigations and the creation of an Early Warning System to flag officers involved in incidents of concern. These reforms will give people who report police misconduct a clearer path to review from outside the police department, strengthening accountability and increasing public safety.
“The changes to the PERA ordinance are necessary for us to effectively and efficiently carry out our mandate to conduct fair, thorough, and impartial police oversight operations,” said Ferenc Karoly, Esq., the Executive Director of PERA. “These amendments will allow us to accurately assess police misconduct cases and report those results out to the public to improve the quality of police services and increase trust between the community and the police department. Our goal is to serve the community in collaboration with the police department to ensure civil rights are protected and misconduct is reduced through accountability and transparency.”
Tonight, councilors also finalized passage of zoning and licensing regulations for entertainment in Providence. These amendments allow amplified live music, trivia, and karaoke in bars and restaurants and expand opportunities for temporary entertainment events while establishing certain rules and an annual licensing fee for these activities. The amendments also set firm end times for indoor incidental live music (9 p.m. on weeknights and 11 p.m. on weekends), while keeping in place noise regulations in consideration of nearby residents.
The updated zoning and new licensing ordinances together create a balanced solution that supports artists, restaurants, and patrons in the Creative Capital while maintaining calm and quiet neighborhoods for residents.
The next regular City Council meeting will convene on June 18, 2026.
