Ward 15
All MembersCouncilman Oscar Vargas
Councilman Oscar O. Vargas was elected to City Council in the summer of 2021. He represents Ward 15, which includes the parts of Silver Lake, Olneyville, Manton, and Valley neighborhoods. Councilman Vargas is the Chairman of the Committee on Public Works and a member of the Committee on Ordinances. He is also a member of the Water Supply Board.
As a resident of Providence for more than 20 years, Councilman Vargas has had the opportunity to experience firsthand the issues Ward 15 faces.
Born in Zacapa, Guatemala, Councilman Vargas immigrated to Providence, Rhode Island, in 1989. He attended Central High School, and after graduation, he worked at the Citizens Bank Corporation Office. Councilman Vargas has also worked as a jeweler; a year later, he opened his jewelry shop. In 2016 he received an auto mechanic certificate from MTTI.
Ward 15: Olneyville, Silver Lake, Valley
Recent News

Council President Matos Issues Subpoena to the Commissioner of Public Safety
The subpoena would require the Commissioner to hand over all relative video footage regarding the of Sgt. Joseph Hanley to the Providence External Review Authority At the formal request of PERA Executive Director Jose Batista, City Council President Sabina Matos (Ward...

Council President Sabina Matos Proposes Resolution Urging Expansion of Police Officer Education
At tonight’s City Council Meeting, Council President Sabina Matos (Ward 15) proposed a resolution urging the Rhode Island General Assembly to expand the types of degrees eligible for education reimbursement to law enforcement officers. In recent weeks the City Council...

Statement from Council President Sabina Matos Regarding Last Night’s Public Hearing on the Fiscal Year ’21 Budget
When the original Public Hearing was Zoom-bombed by hateful rhetoric, this Council made a decision to reschedule it. We rescheduled it because the Public Hearing is the only opportunity for the community to go on record with feedback on the Administration’s proposed...

Statement from Council President Sabina Matos Regarding The FOP’s Call For Vote of No Confidence
In an email sent out by the President of the Providence Police Union in encouragement of this no-confidence vote he implores officers to ‘all stick together.’ I find it disappointing that my public support of a firefighter who felt racially profiled by our police...

Council President Matos Urges General Assembly to Allow for State Name Change and to Require Teaching of African Heritage History in Schools
At tonight’s City Council meeting, Council President Sabina Matos (Ward 15) proposed two resolutions around important issues to the community regarding race and the power of words on our community. The first resolution, co-sponsored by Councilmen Goncalves (Ward 1),...
Statement from City Council President Sabina Matos Regarding Tonight’s Public Hearing
In an effort to ensure transparency and accessible government, a few individuals took advantage of the anonymity of remote participate and used it as an opportunity to spew hatred. I will be discussing a rescheduling of the public hearing with Chairman Igliozzi to...