Ward 15
All Members
Councilman 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
Statement from City Council President Sabina Matos Regarding the Expansion of Achievement First
I’m a proponent of giving parents choices. Historically, low-income families have never had the real option of choosing which schools to send their children to. The demand for choice is at an all-time high as evidenced by the 3,000 or so families on the Achievement...
City Council Stands in Support of Keeping IGT Global Solutions in Providence
City Council President Sabina Matos and a majority of the City Council tonight introduced a resolution, which was passed unanimously by the body, urging the General Assembly to pass Senate Bill 1031 and House Bill 6266. These bills enable the State Lottery Division of...
Statement from City Council President Sabina Matos Regarding Last Night’s Incident at Nara
Violence, like any societal ill, doesn’t make people feel better because it may be in remission. Regardless of whether crime is actually down in our City, if taxpayers don’t feel a sense of security and peace then we haven’t done our jobs as elected officials to...
Statement from City Council President Sabina Matos Regarding the Great City Schools Report
Recently, we've learned more information about the deep systemic issues in our school department and how they are harming our ever-growing multilingual student population. Much like the John Hopkins report, this recently publicized ELL Report produced by the Council...
City Council Committee on Finance Discussed Asset Transfers as a Tool to Address Unfunded Pension Fund
Tonight the City Council’s Committee on Finance, Chaired by Majority Whip John J. Igliozzi, Esq. (Ward 7), invited Xaykham Kamsyvoravong, Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Providence Water Board to discuss municipal Asset Transfers as a potential tool to help...
City Council Creates a Special Commission for the Study of a Progressive Tiered Property Tax
City Council President Sabina Matos (Ward 15) and Council President Pro Tempore Michael Correia (Ward 6) tonight introduced a resolution that creates a special commission to study a progressive tiered property tax in the city of Providence. “There is not enough...
