Mayors Give Advice to Taveras
Friday, November 26, 2010
From fixing potholes to reforming the pension system, four former and two current mayors tell GoLocalProv what advice they would give to Providence Mayor-elect Angel Taveras.
The six past and present mayors—David Cicilline, John Lombardi, Buddy Cianci, Joe Paolino, Scott Avedisian, and Allan Fung—all had different takes on how Taveras can be an effective mayor. But they all were in near unanimous agreement on at least one thing: Providence is in serious financial trouble and it will be the first big challenge Taveras will face as mayor.
Former Providence Mayor Joe Paolino: Get ready now for a snowstorm
“The most important thing he’s got to do before he gets into office is to make sure Public Works is prepared for a major snowstorm. It’s November, December. He takes office in January and a snowstorm could cripple him,” Paolino said. “That’s the first thing people are going to recognize.” One tip on how to work with snow plow vendors: promise to pay them within 30 days, Paolino says, and your streets will be plowed before any other city’s.
After that, he says Taveras should immediately begin the process of seeking a forensic audit of all city finances. “You’ve got to find out exactly where the money is going and how big your deficit is,” Paolino says.
Taveras will inherit much when he takes office—but one thing he should not inherit is his predecessor’s enemies, Paolino says. “Don’t inherit someone else’s enemies. You’re a new mayor. If the former administration had some friends make them your friends. If the former administration had some enemies, don’t let them stay your enemies, make them your friends.”
Warwick Mayor Scott Avedisian: The little things can count for a lot
Another tip: “Every decision—the big ones and especially the little ones—have major ramifications for the people who live in Providence and he needs to be cognizant of that.” The resident who approaches the mayor’s office with what may seem like a small issue needs to feel that his concerns are being addressed, Avedisian adds. Brushing aside their concerns could affect their perception of mayor’s administration. “If that’s the only time that they’ve approached local government, they feel that local government isn’t approachable and accessible.”
Former Providence Mayor Buddy Cianci: Get some rest, you’re going to need it
“If I was giving him advice, I’d tell him to get lots of sleep,” Cianci told GoLocalProv. Next: “Bring the best and the brightest.”
“The city is in dire financial straits,” Cianci adds. “The first thing I would do is have an audit to find out where everything stands. … In six months this is going to be his problem so he better make sure people know where he stands when he comes in.”
Cianci also suggests:
• changing from a one-year to a two-year budget
• asking the city council to hold off on approving a budget for the current year
• get a public safety commissioner who is a “real public safety commissioner”
• hold a listening tour in the city to hear “what people are really saying.”
Former Providence Mayor John Lombardi: You are defined by the people around you
You’re defined by the people you surrounded yourself with, Lombardi says. Like the other mayors, he says Taveras should go after the “best and the brightest,” but that doesn’t mean he has to recruit staff from other states. “You don’t have to go out and get the intellectual Ivy Leaguers,” Lombardi says. Instead, there are plenty of qualified people here in the city. “They’re people that know the system. They’re very good, they just have to be asked,” Lombardi says. Also: he says staff picks are an opportunity to build relationships with the city council, the General Assembly, unions, and the new Governor.
Another piece of advice: If Taveras wants to make changes in the city budget, it won’t happen overnight, but he can lead by example by making immediate cuts in the budget for the mayor’s office, Lombardi says.
Cranston Mayor Allan Fung: Look out for the speed bumps
Providence Mayor David Cicilline: Balance banquets with budget meetings
“It’s important in your schedule to kind of ensure that you set aside some time to do the work of developing good policies and meeting with your department directors and understanding and brainstorming solutions,” Cicilline said. “It’s very easy for your schedule to get filled with the other responsibilities of you know Little League banquets, and ribbon cuttings, and all this stuff which is really important, but if you don’t put in your schedule what I used to call governing time… it’s easy to for that day to go by without almost any time to do that work.”
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