Ward 9
All Members
Councilor Juan M. Pichardo
Councilor Juan M. Pichardo represents Ward 9, which includes the Elmwood, South Elmwood, and Roger Williams Park neighborhoods. Pichardo currently serves as the President Pro Tempore and is the Chair of the Committee on Ward Boundaries, Special Committee on Health, Opportunity, Prosperity, and Education (HOPE) and the Special Commission on Veterans Affairs. He is also the Vice-Chair of the Committee on Claims and Pending Suits, the Committee on Urban Redevelopment, Renewal and Planning and a member of the Rules Committee. Pichardo is also a member of the Providence Water Supply Board and the Providence Board of Parks Commissioners.
He served as a state senator from 2003 until 2017. He served as a member of the RI Air National Guard from 1988 until 2010, retiring at the rank of Master Sergeant.
He was born in Santiago and raised in the city of Jicome, Valverde, Dominican Republic until the age of 9. He attended public school P.S 115 in New York City, Providence’s Gilbert Stuart Middle School and Mount Pleasant High. He is a graduate of Community College of RI, Rhode Island College, the Providence Civic Entrepreneur initiative, and Leadership RI. Pichardo is the co-founder of Quisqueya in Action and The RI Latino PAC. He is married to Janet and is the father of three children and three grandchildren.
Ward 9: Elmwood & South Elmwood
Recent News
Councilors Introduce Noise Ordinance Exemption for Striking Workers, Rights of First Refusal for Tenant Organizations and Workers
Tonight, Providence City Council President Rachel Miller introduced an amendment to the city’s noise ordinance which would exempt striking workers from violations. This protection follows the recent unnecessary and targeted fining of workers at Butler Hospital, who...
Honoring our Past by Building an Inclusive Future
As one of the oldest cities in all of New England, Providence holds a rich history that is visible in every corner of the city—from the oldest Baptist church in the country, to the 19th century architecture throughout our iconic neighborhoods. On the fifth floor of...
City Council HOPE Committee Reviews Progress Toward Local Control of Schools, Opposes Federal Education Cuts
Last night, City Council’s Special Committee on Health, Opportunity, Prosperity, and Education (HOPE), chaired by President Pro Tempore Juan M. Pichardo, met to discuss a resolution in support of RI House Bill H-5335, which would return the Providence Public School...
Council Grants First Passage to Rental Algorithm Ban, Honors Ruggerio
At tonight’s meeting, Providence City Council granted unanimous first passage of an ordinance which would ban the use of price-fixing rental algorithms in the city. This software, developed and sold by companies like RealPage and used by corporate landlords to drive...
City Council Leadership on Jet Set Roof Collapse
In response to the disaster at Jet Set nightclub in Santo Domingo, where at least 124 people were killed and hundreds more injured, Providence City Council released the following statements from Council President Rachel Miller and Majority Leader Pedro Espinal. From...
Council Passes Ordinance Protecting Unhoused Neighbors
At tonight’s Providence City Council meeting, councilors voted for the second and final time on an ordinance providing additional protections for our city’s unhoused community. Following the far-right U.S. Supreme Court’s 2024 decision in City of Grants Pass v....
