Providence City Council Committee on Ways and Means Budget Hearing – May 19, 2026
Providence City Council Committee on Ways and Means Budget Hearing – May 19, 2026
The Providence City Council Committee on Ways and Means met on Tuesday, May 19, 2026, at 5:34 PM (with discussion continuing until adjournment after 8:00 PM) to review the proposed fiscal year 2027 budgets for the Planning and Development Department, the Inspection and Standards Department (Building), and the Economic Development Department. Chair Miguel Sanchez presided. Present were Councillors Andy Ball, Councilwoman Grave, Councilman Peterson; Vice Chair Taylor was absent. The meeting included detailed presentations from budget director Crystal (last name not provided), Director Woolligan (Planning), Director James Moore (Inspection & Standards), and the Economic Development Director (last name not provided) along with new deputy director Ernesto Figueroa.
Consent Calendar
- The committee unanimously approved the agenda and meeting minutes from the prior session.
- A motion to enter exhibit 20 into the record was approved (appears to be a budget document).
Discussion Items
- Planning and Development Department Budget – The proposed budget represents a 7.75% increase over fiscal year 2026. Total proposed salaries are $1,780,064. One vacant planner position was defunded for $65,611 in savings. The department’s fixed and discretionary costs are largely level-funded except for eliminated rent (due to the purchase of 444 Westminster) and a reduced copier lease. Discussion focused on chronic staff turnover, the difficulty of hiring and retaining planners (especially at mid-career and senior levels), salary competitiveness compared to suburbs and the state, and the impact on community engagement. Director Woolligan stated that two new hires are in progress and that collaboration with other departments helps offset vacancies. The committee also discussed accessory dwelling units (ADUs) – only about a dozen built, but 48 permits in 2025 – and the related issues of parking, transit funding (RIPTA cuts), and the need for better community education on density. Councillors expressed concern about the defunded planner position and the lack of a citywide salary review.
- Inspection and Standards Department Budget – The proposed budget of $5,954,287 is a 10% increase over fiscal year 2026. Revenues from permitting fees (last updated in 2017) have grown by over $3 million annually in the last decade but are level-funded for FY27. Two new FTEs are requested: a code compliance inspector and a code enforcement clerk lead. The department’s boarding contract (covering fire-damaged and vacant buildings) is projected to cost up to $200,000 annually. Director Moore highlighted a new career ladder within the department (clerk to lead to manager), proactive enforcement (inspections increased from 1,700 in 2023 to 5,300 in 2025), and the success of the home repair revolving fund (over 60 homes assisted, with the mayor committing an additional $500,000). Issues discussed included the backlog of code violations, the need for better 311 follow‑up communication, outdated fee schedules (zoning certificates cost $25 but take two hours of staff time), and persistent problems at Providence Housing Authority buildings (e.g., lack of hot water, broken elevators). Councillors asked about enforcement of the property management registry and the timeline for updating fees.
- Economic Development Department Budget – The proposed salaries total $780,009 (a decrease of ~8%) with increased fringe benefits due to reallocation. A research/policy analyst position was defunded for $50,238 in savings. Under contracts, $250,000 is allocated for youth jobs via First Source, including $24,600 to Providence Public Schools for summer learning. The department has opened a new “Providence Business Center” on the first floor of 444 Westminster to provide one‑stop services for businesses. Discussion covered small business outreach (Small Business Month, World Cup opportunities, pop‑ups at Providence Place Mall), First Source program (66 development agreements, partnership with Building Futures, workforce outcomes), and MWBE participation (state certification challenges, city efforts to increase inclusion). Council members emphasized the need for better communication between the department and neighborhood business associations, and for more direct engagement with Councillors on outreach efforts.
Key Outcomes
- The committee voted unanimously to continue the budget hearings (items 1–5) to the next meeting.
- The meeting was adjourned around 8:30 PM, with the next session scheduled for the following day at 5:30 PM.
- No formal votes on the budget were taken; the hearings are still in the review phase.
- The committee requested follow‑up information on First Source outcomes, home repair fund statistics, and MWBE procurement data.
Meeting Transcript
Hi, good afternoon. My name is Miguel Sanchez. I am calling the special committee of ways and meetings on ways and meetings to order is 534. Tuesday, May 19. Madam Clerk, can you please call roll call, please? Chair Sanchez. Present. Vice Chairman Taylor is action. Councillor Andy Ball. President. Councilwoman Grave. Present. Councilman Peterson. Present. We have four present and one advantage. We have four. Thank you. I just want to recognize Council Staff that's here. Our city solicitor, our clerk's apartment, Councilwoman Joe Davidson, who's going to be joining this committee in the very near future. Thank you for being here. One through five. A little too. It's hot, so we might be a little slow. Motion made by Councilwoman Interval, second by Councilwoman Peterson. All those in favor, eyes have it. Are we on a general order tonight? Yeah, can we swear everyone in first? Crystal and her deputy instructor and without first. Second. This represents a 7.75% increase over the fiscal year 2026 budget. Total proposed salaries in fiscal year 2026, we're budgeted at 1,74. In fiscal year 2027, we're making adjustments for cost of living increases at $69,865. Step increases for $30,192. Additionally, we have defunded a vacant planner position for savings of $65,611. For total purported stated fee, 27 calories of 1,780,064. The planning department's budget has been broken into fixed and discretionary costs. This is loan software and a translation of the company. Under the service line items, all of their services are to be under the supplies. All of the slides are considered to be discretionary. They have been level funded with the exception of rent, which has been eliminated due to the purchase of 444 Westminster. And the copier lease has been reduced, so we're still doing this a little bit than it was last year by about $500. This department did not have any contracts above $50,000, so we don't have a slide to review those, but the other remaining parts the session did. So we want to take that having been accounted for, we just didn't have it. Thank you so much for your uh collaboration on that. Yeah, of course. Just a quick question before we continue. So there's been a couple of departments before us that no longer have uh the rental expenditure. Where are we going to see uh the debt payment to for the purchase of the building? So we budget all of debt service in uh in its own kind of department called debt service. So in the budget book, we would have talked about that during the budget overview when we talked about debt.
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