Providence City Council Finance Committee Meeting - November 25, 2025
Providence City Council Finance Committee Meeting - November 25, 2025
[The Providence City Council Finance Committee met on November 25, 2025, with Chairman Ryan presiding and four members present (one absent). The committee considered the continuation of two tax stabilization ordinances, an appointment to the Providence Public Building Authority, and the reappointment of the executive director of PAR (Providence External Review Authority).]
Discussion Items
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Continuation of Ordinance Items 1 and 2: The committee combined and continued two ordinances (2019-55 as amended and related ordinance) concerning a tax stabilization agreement for 8000 Realty LLC. Chairman Ryan noted that the city solicitor's office had not yet reviewed the drafts, so the items were continued for additional work. A motion to continue carried unanimously.
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Appointment of Eugene McRae to Providence Public Building Authority: Eugene McRae was nominated to replace Mr. McLaughlin. McRae introduced himself as a commercial real estate broker with nearly 20 years of experience, having moved to Providence full-time in 2021. He expressed his background working with municipalities and hospital authorities. After providing his resume as requested by the committee, McRae answered questions about his qualifications and views on housing. He emphasized the need to build more housing and shared perspective from California. The committee voted unanimously to approve his appointment, subject to full council vote on December 4, 2025.
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Reappointment of Wright Harley Spire as Executive Director of PAR: The committee received a unanimous recommendation letter from PAR board chair Susan DeRita. Spire outlined his accomplishments over nearly four years, including increased public trust, handling a record number of complaints (40 in the current year, doubling previous years), and acting as a bridge between police and community. He discussed ongoing challenges, including budget constraints preventing hiring additional staff (investigator, community liaison, policy advisor), the need for resources for hearings and outreach, and improving the public portal. He noted issues with body camera policy violations affecting every case reviewed. He also mentioned collaboration with council on possible legislative changes at the state level. Committee members expressed strong support and approved the reappointment unanimously.
Key Outcomes
- Items 1 and 2 (tax stabilization ordinances) were continued for further review.
- Eugene McRae was appointed to the Providence Public Building Authority (recommendation to full council).
- Wright Harley Spire was reappointed as PAR executive director for two years.
- Motion to adjourn carried.
Meeting Transcript
Actually, it is in the building. That's a long walk right now. I'm the Province Councilman joining Morgan. Welcome to the committee of the finance regular meeting. Chairman Ryan present. Present. We have four present and one accent. madam clerk if you I may read the role chairman right present vice chairman tailor is absent counselor any bottom present council mcraves present council present we have four present and one absent we have a five okay on item one ordinance for the ordinance 2019 55 as a fixed before approved december 13 2019 as amended in an ordinance number 2022 72 number 429 having taken a fact on december 21st 2022 entitled an ordinance establishing a tax stabilization agreement for 8000 real tea llc located on assessors plat 113 glass 23233 234 and 235 541 thank you madam clerk i'm actually going to ask my um members of the committee to combine items one and two wave the reading and substitute i have a substitution for item two directing uh title uh from 2021 52 to 2021 50 that i have the document case answer so may i have that motion so motion made by council one and end of our second by council and sample is all in favor aye they closed size have it motion carries okay so we have one and two together we've already kind of read one i'm not going to make you read two however on it is my uh uh understanding and belief that these matters are not ready to move forward uh that's why i was waiting for the city solicitor to join us on i asked both for quick review today to affirm that so we need a little bit more time on these and unless you have discerned something else and find that wisdom on this so the as far as i can understand nobody in the law department has reviewed these drafts that it doesn't necessarily mean that they're addressed that I could go ahead and just nobody has reviewed them in my left someone's been asked to review them fair enough um let's uh um at that uh um with that uh information i'd like to make uh a request for a motion to continue both of these items for additional work and they'll come before us as soon as we possibly can have that motion motion made by councilman and as well second uh councilman san for as well favor any opposed size have it motion cars item two or one has two are uh continue and thank you very much solicitor i know i've brought your attention to that and uh late today okay uh madam court for the time we read item three into the record communication from his honor the mayor dated october 25th 2025 informing the honorable members of the city council that assailant to section 302b of the final formal inside of 1980 as amended in public laws chapter 45 through 50 sections one through 31 passed in 1987 appointing Eugene McRae of 116 Bayard Street Province Rhode Island open 906 as a member of the Providence Public Building Authority for a term to expire on January 31st 2028 and respectfully submits a C or approval Mr. McRae replaces Mr McLaughlin whose term expired please join us um right and simple much like the other side but that's a good side um madam clerk to read over can you sound the front reporter yes and maybe said your name is set up for the record Eugene McGrain two thank you first Madam Clerk um we just noticed my uh colleagues uh just noticed there's no resumes on these food you they submitted no okay that's probably I see uh okay do you have a resume your resume with you uh I do not have it with me I just I have submitted it in the city okay um I can give it to you and um Mr. Shunan are you in the room yeah do you have a resume that you could absolutely it was submitted with the first why it wasn't okay I have one copy I can go make copies if you want would you mind yeah um okay on the do we have resumes for the other other appointment oh it's a bit of a okay if you could find the don't don't run too fast no trip we've already had it um just say we're gonna recess right now um to give the my colleagues went off into an image of to review your resume sure it's stunning and want to see I would expect nothing less than board three Do I need to enter this? No, no. Okay. It just wasn't populated for us. Okay. Um Mr. McCrain. You guys comfortable with the resume? You want just another second? Yeah. Okay. One should take another second. You good? Yeah. Everybody good? Okay. Council McGraise, are you good? You need another minute? Are you okay? No, I'm just oh formulate my questions. I know. Okay. Um, all right. We're coming on a recess, and we we have a wonderful candidate in front of us that has been appointed to the Providence Public Building Authority. Uh Eugene McCray, you've been smorn in. Could you please tell us a little bit about yourself? And now that we have your resume before us, we have uh more information about you. Sure. But share with us who you are on you know what you've done in the past and and uh why you would like to serve on this board, very important board uh the city. Sure. Um well I I've been a commercial real estate broker um for almost 20 years. Um my wife and I and our three children moved to Providence full-time in 2021. Uh she's from here. Her dad's one of fourteen brothers because she's at all in Rhode Island. Um, so we had owned the house uh right next to Mary and across the street from my parents on 7th Street. Uh for a number of years of she can come back and see them. Uh and then during the pandemic, uh, she wasn't able to get back here and she wanted to for a long time move back here. So we moved in right in the local different puppy and three small children. Um and we were able to find a house close by in that neighborhood, and we've been living there since I work basically across the country in commercial real estate. Um all sorts of different projects are working.
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