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

Providence City Council President Sabina Matos and the Providence Revolving Fund Announce A Micro-Loan Fund Pilot Program in Five Business Corridors in Providence
Providence City Council President Sabina Matos (Ward 15) today, in partnership with the Providence Revolving Fund, announced the creation of the Providence Commercial Corridor Micro-Business Loan fund. The commercial corridors in the pilot phase of this program are...

City Council Joins ONE Neighborhood Builders and the Central Providence Health Equity Zone to Distribute 50,000 Face Masks
Council President Sabina Matos (Ward 15) and Council President Pro Tempore Michael Correia (Ward 6) partnered with ONE Neighborhood Builders and their Central Providence Health Equity Zone on Friday, June 5, 2020, to pick up masks to be distributed in the community...

Statement from Council President Sabina Matos Regarding the Outbreak of Violence Last Night in the City of Providence
The chaos that ensued last night was not promulgated by our community. These weren’t our usual neighborhood organizers who descended onto our streets. Last night our city was pillaged and preyed upon by out-of-Town agitators and impressionable opportunists. Don’t be...

Statement from Council President Sabina Matos on the Tragic Death of George Floyd
As a Black-Latina Immigrant, instances of prejudice and racism are not unfamiliar to me. Yet, the experience of the African American community in our country is one rife with hatred, destruction, and travesties of justice. I was proud to have taken my teenage son to...

Providence’s Internal Auditor Hires Former State Auditor General to Advise the City Council and its Members on the Proposed FY ’21 Providence Budget
Today, the City of Providence Board of Contract and Supply approved the hiring of Ernest Almonte, Rhode Island’s former Auditor General, to advise the City Council and its members on the proposed FY ’21 Providence City Budget. As the City of Providence is facing...

Council President Sabina Matos Urges United States Senate to Pass HEROES Act
Council President Sabina Matos (Ward 15) will introduce a resolution at tonight's City Council meeting endorsing and urging the United States Senate to pass H.R. 6800, the Health and Economic Recovery Omnibus Emergency Solutions Act also known as the HEROES Act. The...