Providence Reporter

On June 26, Mayor Brett P. Smiley joined Council President Rachel Miller, members of the Providence City Council, Chief of Fire Derek Silva, Police Commander Kevin Lanni, Chief Financial Officer Lawrence J. Mancini, Department of Public Works Director Patricia Coyne-Fague, Finance Director Sara Silveria and Deputy Finance Director Krystle Lindberg to sign the FY2024 budget which will go into effect July 1, 2023. The final budget puts Providence on better financial ground and reflects Mayor Smiley’s top priorities: improving public safety, investing in city services, and providing robust opportunities for Providence youth.  

“I am proud of this final budget that will help us prepare for the future while focusing in on the things our residents and businesses care most about,” said Mayor Brett Smiley. “This was a collaborative effort with the City Council that we believe will set Providence on the right path forward.”  

Mayor Smiley believes that by balancing Providence’s tax structure, we can better prepare for the increasing likelihood of a recession, responsibly plan for when federal funding is no longer available and make Providence more competitive locally and regionally.   

“The budget received broad support on Council because it is a fiscally responsible budget that achieves savings for our residents without sacrificing quality of life city services. The Council listened to our neighbors hit hard by steep home revaluations and significantly lowered proposed property tax increases,” said Council President Rachel Miller. “The FY24 budget lays the groundwork for strong PILOT agreements with our tax-exempt institutions, freezing non-essential hiring until we have signed agreements. I thank Mayor Smiley and his team for their open collaboration in the process. A special thank you to the Council Finance Committee and Chair Helen Anthony, who spent many late nights examining department budgets and asking thorough questions to save taxpayers money.”  

Through this budget, the city will improve local public safety and better deliver critical city services to residents and businesses. In the next fiscal year, there is funding for additional police and fire academies which will improve staffing capacity in both departments and reduce overtime costs. The FY24 budget also includes sidewalk improvements ($193,000) and increased investment in Downtown and park space ($25,000) so that the city is clean and welcoming to all residents, students, businesses and visitors. Lastly, there is a $100,000 investment included for a new, modern 3-1-1 system to better track, report and resolve constituent requests. These are key investments in making Providence the best-run city in America. 

Aligned with Mayor Smiley’s focus on improving education and recreation opportunities for youth, the Administration has made targeted funding increases in departments and community partners that will enhance out-of-school learning time. The proposed budget increases investment in the Providence After School Alliance by 10 percent ($385,000 total); increases its investment in the Recreation Department by five percent ($150,000) to focus on community engagement and infrastructure repair; and supports summer learning ($580,000) and EAT, PLAY, LEARN PVD that offers over one thousand youth employment and low-cost summer recreation opportunities.  

The final FY24 budget will be posted online at openbudget.providenceri.gov.  

Original source can be found here.