Opinion/Igliozzi: Making government work for Providence
John Igliozzi is Providence City Council president.
On Jan. 6, the Providence City Council held our first public meeting of 2022, a date coinciding with the one-year anniversary of the attack on our nation’s democracy. During these difficult times, when we are frayed by an ongoing pandemic, distrust and division, the way forward is to demonstrate that our democracy and government institutions work.
As council president, I am committed to showing that our city government works for the people of Providence. That is why we have an ambitious agenda to help our residents and businesses recover from the pandemic, continue to ensure strong city services, and strengthen how our city government functions.
At the top of our agenda is helping our city get through the challenges presented by COVID-19. Since the pandemic began, Providence has lost 600 residents to this terrible virus. In addition to the devastating loss of life, COVID-19 has impacted our families, friends and neighbors, from lost jobs to struggling businesses, to an exacerbated homelessness and affordable-housing crisis, to lost learning time for our students.
To address these impacts, Providence is fortunate to have received $166 million in American Rescue Plan Act funds. In 2021, the council invested $42 million of these funds in initiatives to address the immediate impacts of the pandemic, while laying the foundations for long-term recovery. We invested $500,000 to assist residents struggling with homelessness; invested in free public Wi-Fi at our parks and recreation centers; created a $7-million small-business relief program; and invested in basic infrastructure including our sidewalks, roads and sewers.
The use of the approximately $120 million in remaining ARPA funds will be a major focus in 2022. My council colleagues and I are committed to continued investments in priority areas including expanding affordable housing, addressing homelessness, improving public safety, and filling in for revenue shortfalls so we can hold the line on taxes.
In expending these funds, we must do so in a transparent and public fashion. That is why, as part of the ARPA budget, I will be recommending the council retain an independent auditor to track, monitor and prepare bi-weekly public reports on all ARPA expenditures.
Another priority will be public safety. We have heard clearly from Police Chief Clements that more officers are needed so that we can restore community policing. This council has already funded two police academies, and we are prepared to make an additional investment for another academy next year.
When it comes to city government, there is nothing more foundational than the city charter, and in 2022 the residents of Providence can shape this document via the Charter Review Commission process. We plan to hold multiple charrettes — public-focused forums — so that every voter will have the opportunity to weigh in on proposed charter changes that are placed on the November ballot.
Also, over the coming months will be the Ward Boundaries process. Every 10 years, we adjust ward boundaries and voting districts to ensure that voting remains fair and equitable for everyone in our city.
These two initiatives, Ward Boundaries and Charter Review, will shape Providence for the next decade and I urge residents to make your voices heard.
I have served on the Providence City Council for the past 25 years. This public service has been the greatest honor of my life. In my last year on the council, I am committed to working with my colleagues and the residents of Providence to seize a once-in-a-generation opportunity to solve systemic problems and plan for a future that starts right now.
This article originally appeared on The Providence Journal: Opinion/Igliozzi: Making government work for Providence
