Good evening and welcome to the Providence City Council, this special meeting on Monday, June fifteenth.

Madam Clerk, please call the roll.

Council President Miller.

Present.

Councilwoman Graves.

Councilwoman Peterson.

Council President Pro Tempore Pichardo.

Present.

Councilor Royus is absent.

Councilwoman Ryan is absent.

Majority with Sanchez.

Present.

Councilman Taylor.

Present.

Councilwoman Ana Vargas is absent.

Councilman Oscar Barkin.

Present.

We have a quorum.

Thank you, Madam Clerk.

This evening the invitation will be led by Councilman Oscar Vergus.

Thank you, Madam President.

The Holy Ghost.

Amen.

What's it the way the reader of item one and two?

Second madam President.

Any discussion on items one or two?

Any uh no's or uh saying passive.

So no item three.

Madam President.

Question the way the reader at a three through seven and passed for the first time on a roll code vote.

Second, madam president.

We have a motion and a second.

Any discussion?

Chairman Sanchez.

Thank you, Madam President.

I want to quickly rise and uh thank um all of the committee members, uh Councillor uh Phil Briggs, Councilor Joe Davison, Councillor Uh Peterson, uh Vice Chair Taylor, uh Councillor Anwall was there for for the beginning of the process and was always um uh a committed uh colleague in getting through this work.

Um and of course, uh our council staff, uh Kyle and Brandon, um, of course, uh everyone else uh definitely stepped up and and assisted us in uh ways that you know I'm super grateful to that.

Also wanna thank the clerk's office and our city solicitor's office uh for always being there.

There was a couple of weeks in a row where we met uh three, four days uh consecutively uh for three, four hour meetings uh at a time.

And while it is our duty uh to do the work of the people, it is very important work.

Um it's tough at times.

We all have a lot of responsibilities to juggle, uh, but I definitely wanna uh just show my my gratitude um to other people that got us uh to this point, which is proposed uh to go and approve a budget that is balanced, uh it's responsible, um, and it does um respond to the needs of other people's province.

Um of course there's always more work to do.

That's something that none of us here take for granted.

Um work that continues 365 days uh a year, and that's uh what I'm committed to is approving this budget but continuing uh to fill uh any gaps that we might have missed, uh or we just uh simply did not have uh the sufficient resources uh to allocate in in this budget.

Um and I also want to you know publicly acknowledge the the finance department uh who was there with us uh throughout this whole process.

Um we are at uh at a point where we wanna continue uh serving uh the needs uh the people that that put us in seats.

Uh so with that being said, I I just wanted to thank everyone uh that got us uh to this point.

Thank you, Madam President.

Thank you, Councillor.

Uh Madam Clerk Count uh Councilman Rayas is present.

So noted.

Further discussion items 3637.

Councilman Grace.

I also would like to say thank you to the people that stepped up.

We had a little hiccup at the beginning, but uh counselor really stepped up to the plate.

He has done an excellent job as our chair.

Um of the ways and means I uh appreciate um councillor Peterson and Davidson for stepping in.

They have really helped us a lot.

Sue is always I'm sorry, Sue's always been wonderful.

We always knew that she was there and she always had the questions.

But I mean this was last minute stuff, and they really stepped to the plate.

Um Jim has always been our little anchor also, so I have to thank everyone that is on our ways and means committee.

Um I don't want to jinx anything because we read the last little stretch, but I think this is probably one of the easiest ones that I was on once we finally got our feet upon the ourselves and thanked the ladies and then clerk's office.

They were there, they were prepared as always, they really really got us through and all of the staff.

All of the um counselors that came in, asked the questions the person questions that may have brought up something that we may have overlooked or failed to ask.

We appreciate all of it.

Um I I just feel relieved.

I feel like this is a really good deal.

I think we really did an excellent job with what we have.

So thank you all.

I am very proud of all of my colleagues.

That's all I have to say.

Councillor Harris.

I have to stand and say that um this is my final budget, and it was the best budget.

I was so impressed with the talent of that committee and how you guys stepped up and how you guys really looked into the budget and tried your best to shape something at a lot of times that become a lot of confusion.

I've been around here about 12 years and 12 years out of that.

It's been always I get so tense when it comes around to the budget system because of all the things that sometimes does not um does not shape out in a way that uh we collectively work together as you know as as a body, but this year was really beautiful, and what was beautiful about it, I'm looking at a generation that is able to get this work done.

And as someone who has been around for a very very long time, it's impressive to see no complaining, uh bringing council people together to make sure that you understand exactly what we need.

That's a lot of work.

That's a lot of work and a lot of hours.

We appreciate that.

And we also appreciate the respect, the professionalism and everything that went into this um this budget this year.

When I got in office, somebody said to me, the budget's gonna be with you every year.

But I didn't know at times how challenging the budget could be, especially when we have to raise tax.

But this was a time where it was shown that you paid attention, you learned a lot, and not only did you learn a lot, all of you on that budget committee, I'm I mean, on that process of passing the budget, did a wonderful job, and you did it so good and so kind to everyone, and you work collectively together with the administration.

Something that has been challenging over the years and have not been always, you know, pointed out that we can get along as a government body and work together and show our constituents that we can get something done.

Really appreciate you.

I say when I leave this time, I'm leading with some good stuff in my head.

A lot of great things have happened in this council, and I gotta say I gotta give credit to this process that took place this time because it's really really rewarding.

Thank you.

Thank all of you.

You all did your best.

Thank you.

Thank you, Councilwoman, and thank you for your service on 12 City of Providence budgets.

We can happy.

Thank you, Madam President.

Councilwomen, thank you for your service.

Twelve budgets.

The good thing of this, the good thing of this budget is the administration is not raising you taxes.

That's a good thing.

And I'm proud to say like we work very hard with the administration to get to this point.

635 million dollars.

That's our budget.

635 million dollars.

It's the budget.

But Latinos can escuchan as a budget.

I'm very proud to work on this budget together with the raising means.

I was there asking questions.

I always be though.

Because I am a watchdog for the taxpayers.

This budget went up 11 million dollars, and I don't know how this went up for 11 million dollars.

But the good thing is we're not raising budgets.

The administration is not raising taxes.

And hopefully we have a lot of good programs in this budget to keep helping that community, like the million dollars for the people who's renting to help them.

We waiting for hopefully next year we can put another million dollars will be two million dollars to rent the community.

And we will continue working very hard for our constituents, our people, our 11,000 people that we represent in our community.

It's a good budget.

I don't like it, but it's a good budget.

635 million.

We're getting close to the billion dollars.

But we have to start thinking how we can start cutting, how we can do a better service to the constituents.

And that's why we approved this budget to have a better service.

If we have any issues, pick up the phone and call every department.

Why we're not getting our services when we approve a budget like this big.

Thank you, Madam President.

Thank you, Councillor.

For the discussion, Councilman Enderbach.

Thank you so much, Council President.

I'll keep it brief, but I really just wanted to thank Chairman Sanchez.

Um, you've done a stunning job on this year's budget and this process.

Um I'm proud of you.

I think the whole council is proud of you because you led it in a way that was transparent and thorough and open.

And it not only is a balanced budget, it not only doesn't raise taxes, but you invested in the things you led a process that now invests in the things that we care about most in the city, including increased investments for our libraries, for our rec centers, for homelessness, for sustainability, thank you.

And uh and a great number of other things.

So I just wanted to make sure you had your flowers um and just thank you for being such a great leader on this council.

Thank you, Councillor.

Further discussion?

Thank you, Madam President.

Uh I too rise.

I'm sitting today.

Um first to say to my colleagues that uh it's always difficult.

No per no budget is perfect, and this one is uh continuously um is one of those, right?

But it's better than the ones that we've had before us in the 2026 city budget of 635 million uh is a worth uh well investment in our city and I do want to commend uh the committee for all their hard work.

Uh I know that uh we continue to face challenges in our city, uh, but the members that actually show up every day because of the tremendous responsibility that we know uh that that's the bottom line for our capital city for the businesses, for the residents, and while we spend the money, while we raise the money through taxes, the best way in the way that the city provides services is to have enough money, and we do have to focus to find out how we can create more revenue for our city because there are things that are pending in our city, which is the pensions, which is the services that uh our residents expect from us as a city, whether there is more sweeping in the in the streets, whether it is the sidewalks or roads, and there was a commitment for us to do more of that in this fiscal year, and I hope that we could do that.

We approved six point nine million dollars for the sidewalks of the mile of history.

We've invested many uh millions of dollars in the infrastructure, and I'm proud of that to join with our colleagues through the difficult uh discussions, but we also know that there are families and children that continue to uh struggle.

We have and continues to um invest in schools, hundred, a hundred, uh what is it, million, right?

Uh in in new schools in the city of Providence.

This city is really uh caterpillaring to the next generation uh for of young people and uh residents of the city of Providence.

And then lastly, uh two things.

One is uh I I'm especially proud of the fact that the mayor, along with uh the finance committee, heard from many of us uh on the energy sustainability, but also on the services for uh the city uh seniors and also veterans.

And we've created a in added position there to focus on veterans and senior teaching population because all departments need it.

But we all know that when we see a veteran out in the neighborhood, we don't see them because they don't wear the uniform.

They are 21 years old, they're 29, or they're 30, or they're 60 or 70.

So I'm proud of that.

And then lastly, is that I'm also proud of the fact that this leadership in this uh city council.

And people stayed up, uh stepped up.

I want to commend Miguel Sanchez for really stepping up and putting and being there from the beginning in the past.

These this is the fourth uh budget.

And he stepped up as uh as we know that we all have it in us to ensure that we can be all watchdogs of the finances of the city of Providence.

And Chairman Miguel Sanchez, you did that.

Uh Councilman and uh friend and councilman Jim Taylor, who is uh and has been a critic of uh government, but seeking for the betterment of how do we provide better services.

Thank you for showing up too, because I know it's uh it's difficult.

And for those of us that are new to the committee, keep pressing, asking the questions because at the end of the day, we not only are passing this budget because of what we know that is for this fiscal year, but is that we are creating more and more uh opportunities for all of us to thrive together.

Well, thank you to the committee and thank you, Madam President, for your leadership as uh as we continue to evolve in this city council.

Thank you very much.

Thank you for the discussion.

Hearing that, Madam Clerk, please call the roll.

Council President Miller, aye.

Aye, Councilor Davidson, aye.

Majority leader Espinal.

Aye.

Aye.

Councilwoman Graves?

Aye.

Aye.

Councilwoman Peterson.

Aye.

Council President Pro Tempore Picardo.

Aye.

Council Aroyas?

Aye.

Councilwoman Ryan is absent.

Majority with Sanchez.

Aye.

Councilman Taylor.

Aye.

Councilwoman Ana Vargas.

Present.

Councilman Oscar Vargas.

Aye.

You have 14 ayes, one absent.

The motion carries the matters are approved for the first time on a roll call vote.

Thank you, Madam Cher.

And please do note that Councilman Hannah Vergus is present.

Thank you.

Madam President.

Majority leader.

There is no further business in the calendar.

Motion to adjourn.

Second, Madam President.

Any discussion?

All in favor?

Aye.

Any opposed?

Any extensions?

We are adjourned.

Uh councillors, do you remember on Thursday?

Come a little bit early.

We are going to be kicking off our own um archive pride month exhibit, 4 30 p.m.

Thank you.