PROVIDENCE – A nearly $540 million spending plan for fiscal 2022 will now head to the Providence City Council after receiving the city Finance Committee’s blessing on Tuesday night.
The 3-2 vote came after a short debate over some of the changes made since Mayor Jorge O. Elorza introduced his original budget in April. The amended version approved Tuesday represents a net decrease of $371,000, including cuts to tax revenues due to higher participation in the city’s homestead exemption tax and a smaller contribution to the city’s pension fund.
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While Councilwoman Jo-Ann Ryan, who chairs the finance committee, emphasized that the spending plan includes nearly all the key provisions of Elorza’s original proposal – level taxes, funding for a new crisis diversion position within Providence Police Department and expanded community services – at least one change proved a source of contention among council members.
Elorza’s fiscal 2022 spending plan already included $2.9 million for a new police training academy to add up to 50 officers, but through negotiations, $50,000 was added to help recruit participants for the academy.
Councilwomen Helen Anthony and Nirva LaFortune both denounced the additional dollars, saying it was contradictory to community calls for police reform. Anthony was one of two committee members who voted against the budget.
“At this time, it just seems imprudent to allocate those additional funds to the police department,” LaFortune, who is not a member of the finance committee, said.
Councilman Nicholas Narducci offered a different take, referencing recent waves of violence as evidence for the need for more police officers.
“If anyone thinks we have enough police officers in the city of Providence, maybe they need to listen to the news better,” Narducci said. “My attitude is, we can’t spend enough on the police department.”
Councilman James Taylor, a former Providence firefighter, also voted against the spending plan, which includes a city fire chief salary despite the fact that the position has remained vacant for several years, with Public Safety Commissioner Steven Pare serving as the acting chief.
The amended budget also creates a new Department of Equity and Inclusion, re-allocating funds previously allotted for the human resources department.
The budget also more than doubles the spending for city department-run services to deal with homelessness and substance abuse, from $150,000 in the current fiscal year to $330,000. Another $600,000 would fund a new crisis diversionary program to improve its Public Safety Department’s ability to address and respond to nonviolent and noncriminal needs such as mental health and substance abuse, which made up over half of calls to the Providence Police Department, according to a recent report.
The budget also includes $130.9 million for the Providence Public School District, which is separate from the city’s FY 22 spending plan because the district is now under state jurisdiction.
Though the city expects to receive about $150 million in stimulus funds under the American Rescue Plan Act, only about $16 million is included in the fiscal 2022 spending plan to help balance the budget. The council in negotiations also added $300,000 for Providence Community Centers to use on programs that fall under federal spending guidelines. A plan to dole out another $26 million of its federal aid to small business relief, homelessness intervention, summer camp and youth jobs has been approved by the finance committee previously, but not yet received the blessing of the full council.
The budget makes a $77.8 million payment to the city pension fund and includes a $100,000 set-aside for its rainy day fund.
The full City Council will vote on the fiscal year 2022 budget at an upcoming meeting before it heads to Elorza’s desk.
Nancy Lavin is a PBN staff writer. You may reach her at Lavin@PBN.com.
