Providence City Council Special Committee of Ways and Means Budget Hearing

The Special Committee of Ways and Means, chaired by Miguel Sanchez, met on May 20, 2026, to review proposed budgets for Fiscal Year 2027 for the Providence Emergency Management Agency (PEMA), Providence Police Department, Public Safety Commissioner, and the Department of Telecommunications. The meeting began at approximately 5:36 PM and included detailed presentations, council questions, and discussions on staffing, crime statistics, and operational challenges.

Consent Calendar

• Motion to waive readings of items 1 through 5: passed unanimously.
• Motion to enter Exhibit 22 into the record: passed unanimously.
• Motion to enter Exhibit 23 into the record: passed unanimously.
• Motion to enter Exhibit 24 into the record: passed unanimously.
• Motion to enter Exhibit 25 into the record: passed unanimously.

Discussion Items

Providence Emergency Management Agency (PEMA)

• Director Clara Picerbo presented the FY2027 budget of $774,293, a $231,961 decrease from FY2026. The reduction primarily reflects the removal of one-time World Cup funding ($250,000), reallocated to alternate sources.
• Salaries: proposed $366,792, including cost-of-living ($7,621) and step increases ($2,106).
• Revenues: largely federal grants, but the FY2026 PERP grant application period opens June 10, 2026. Other grants are being reimbursed.
• Director Picerbo highlighted PEMA’s role in coordinating responses to the December 2025 Brown University shooting, the January 2026 Pawtucket shooting, and a historic blizzard.
• Councilmembers praised PEMA’s performance but expressed concern about understaffing. Director Picerbo noted the department once had two preparedness coordinators, now only one.
• Councilwoman Peterson questioned the ability to obtain additional federal funding for staffing; Director Picerbo said grants are delayed due to federal shutdowns and lack of a FEMA administrator, but expressed moderate optimism. Councilwoman Graves noted the team worked 40-hour shifts during emergencies and urged adding staff to prevent burnout.
• Councilwoman Davidson asked about PEMA’s coordination with other institutions; Director Picerbo emphasized long-standing personal relationships with Brown, Rhode Island Hospital, and others.
• Councilwoman Graves asked about World Cup preparations; Director Picerbo described collaboration with Massachusetts emergency management and Boston for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, noting the international component and the need to balance with regular hazards like extreme heat and hurricanes.

Providence Police Department

• Colonel Oscar Perez presented the FY2027 budget: total expenditures $121,526,666, a 2.86% ($3.379 million) increase over FY2026. Salaries: $48.3 million in FY2026, adjusted for COLAs ($1.2 million), step increases ($10,868), and retirements ($814,000 savings).
• Revenues: $12,262,400, including a $130,000 increase in police detail revenue.
• Proposed FTE change: defund a laborer position and create an animal control technician role to correct out-of-rank pay.
• COPS grant funding: FY2023 grant covers 40% of 20 officers’ salaries in FY2027 (approx. $1.3 million savings); declines to 20% in FY2028.
• Key expenditure highlights: $945,587 increase in maintenance/services for software (body cameras, ALPR). Motorola contract for radio support ~$500,000. Parking enforcement contract with Passport Labs approved at $660,000. Sound camera expenses $186,000, revenue $100,000 – level funded.
• Colonel Perez reported crime statistics: 288 illegal firearms removed in 2025; violent crime down 8%; homicides fell from 23 in 2021 to 4 in 2025 (all cleared). Robberies and aggravated assaults also declined.
• Councilwoman Graves asked about diversity: department is 48% minority (10% Black male, 23% Hispanic male, 2% Asian) and 12% female (57 total). Leadership includes one female major (first in history) and several lieutenants and sergeants.
• Councilman Taylor inquired about staffing: current strength 458 officers; 127 eligible for retirement in FY2026, 147 in FY2027; three mandatory retirements. Recruitment attracts ~400 applicants per cycle. Lateral transfers used once but limited.
• Councilwoman Peterson raised concerns about overtime and callbacks; Colonel Perez explained $2.3 million in budgeted overtime/ special events for FIFA World Cup, but reimbursement is unlikely. Councilwoman Davidson noted that despite investment, the city may not recoup costs through hotel/meal taxes.
• Councilwoman Peterson discussed neighborhood concerns: noise complaints, non-emergency response times, and interactions with unhoused populations. Colonel Perez described training for new recruits (crisis intervention, mental health, homelessness) and a captain assigned to encampment protocols. He emphasized the department is the last resort after social services.
• Councilman Graves asked about the Real-Time Crime Center (RTCC): installed in 2025, first in Rhode Island. Cost absorbed within existing personnel; only trained detectives access footage for active investigations. Over 400 cameras, but no continuous surveillance.
• Councilwoman Davidson asked about data privacy and ring camera feeds; Colonel Perez stated that only approved personnel can access the system and all access is logged. He acknowledged concerns about external access but said the city cannot control third-party services.

Public Safety Commissioner (Grants and Administration)

• Deputy Commissioner Elaine Richards presented the FY2027 budget: $1,321,640, a $261,000 decrease from FY2026. Salaries: $445,152 in FY2026, adjusted for COLAs ($15,508) and step increases ($3,442). New position: Manager of Fiscal Operations ($104,149) to backfill impending retirement.
• The department administers over $30.5 million in federal and state grants for all public safety divisions. Richards noted the complexity of grant reporting and payroll for public safety (FLSA rules).
• Councilwoman Peterson asked about succession planning; Crystal Lindbergh confirmed the department plans to promote from within and may use a 75-day return rule for training. Councilwoman Pearson commended Richards’ institutional knowledge.
• Discussion on software: Chronos for time attendance (public safety only, due to FLSA differences). A new ERP system is in development to replace a 2003 version.

Department of Telecommunications (Fiber/Communications)

• Director David Radcliffe presented the FY2027 budget: total expenditures $12,081,055, a 2.25% ($265,901) increase from FY2026. Revenues $725,000 from firebox fees, reduced by $25,000 based on collection trends.
• Salaries: $5,773,199 after adjustments. New MOA with Local 1033 adds $134,000 for dispatcher positions. Two new dispatcher positions requested (one police, one fire) at $196,636 total. One labourer position defunded and transferred to public property.
• Director Radcliffe highlighted modernization: quality assurance program (review 15-20 calls monthly), tactical dispatch team used 16 times in emergencies, mobile command center responded to Pawtucket shooting.
• Call volume: 81,600 911 calls (24% of state total); total 152,892 calls (106,663 police, 46,229 fire/EMS). During the Brown University shooting (December 13, 2025), from 4:05 PM to 2:45 AM, they handled 2,136 phone calls and 15,137 radio transmissions; from Dec 13-18, answered 10,860 tip-line calls.
• Councilwoman Davidson asked about emergency notifications; Director Radcliffe noted that during the Brown shooting, AT&T responded within 10 minutes to boost capacity, but Verizon and T-Mobile remained congested. The department has since acquired redundant internet and signal equipment.
• Councilwoman Pearson inquired about health and wellness for dispatchers; Director Radcliffe described individual debriefs after critical incidents and a culture of open discussion.
• Councilwoman Peterson thanked Radcliffe for providing call data that supported a nuisance call ordinance. She noted that the reports helped validate constituent concerns.

Key Outcomes

• No votes were taken on the budget items; the committee continued items 1 through 5 (budget ordinances) to a future meeting.
• Several motions to enter exhibits into the record were approved.
• Council members expressed appreciation for the detailed presentations and pledged continued support for public safety staffing, particularly in PEMA and Telecommunications.