What Does Providence Need in Its Next Mayor?
Tuesday, February 04, 2014
As the 2014 Providence Mayor's race continues to gain momentum, GoLocal asked local community and business leaders, "What does Providence need in its next Mayor?"
The field, which currently includes Republican Dan Harrop and Democrats Lorne Adrain, Jorge Elorza, Michael Solomon, Brett Smiley, and Chris Young, might not be finalized -- John Lombardi could still join the mix, and speculation continues to swirl around former Mayor Buddy Cianci's intentions.
"The next Mayor will need a life preserver," quipped Michael Riley, founder of Coastal Management Group and GoLocal Mindsetter, of the fiscal challenges facing the city's next chief executive. "It will be a question of prioritization."
GET THE LATEST BREAKING NEWS HERE -- SIGN UP FOR GOLOCAL FREE DAILY EBLASTAndy Cutler, partner in Cutler & Company and Founder of Smaller Cities Unite!, called for the next Mayor to have a "big picture" vision. "I firmly believe we need a Mayor that can walk and chew gum at the same time. Budget issues aside, the key is having someone in the office deal who can deal with those issues, but on a parallel track, move other agenda items forward. We need someone who can see the city as a brand."
With Mayoral candidates forming their campaign platforms and vision for the city's future, GoLocal talked with stakeholders who shared their hopes for what the next Mayoral administration can accomplish.
Call for Community Focus
Frank Shea, Executive Director of the Olneyville Housing Association, called for the next Mayor to be someone who "views the city as a whole and who understands how healthy neighborhoods, healthy neighborhood business districts and a healthy downtown are not exclusive of one another but that all are necessary if we are to have a healthy Providence."
"Providence's next Mayor needs to be someone who recognizes the power of our urban centers that create a walkable and liveable community, and how the city's centralized merchant areas are a hub for neighborhood vitality," continued Shea. "And with this, works to create an infrastructure that supports the small and local entrepreneurial businesses that make up these hubs."
On the other side of town, Pernilla Frazier with the Hope Street Merchants Association addressed both broad economic issues - as well as ones specific to the East Side.
"The next Mayor should continue and improve the 'shop local' movement," said Frazier, who owns Kreatelier with Line Deams. "The dream for us is to get the trolley bus to come here. The next Mayor overall should highlight and define the specific neighborhoods across the city."
Frazier noted the association hoped it could replicate downtown in one particular realm -- lighting. "We are launching a campaign to finance street lighting, to be similar to that of downcity's Westminster [Street]," said Frazier. "Studies show that they improve safety, and help define a neighborhood. We're applying for every grant, and hope that the city can match those funds."
Mount Hope Neighborhood Association Executive Director and community activist Raymond Watson said the next Mayor "needs to be able to balance the concerns and needs of Providence's under served populations with the overall development of the City."
"MHNA is implementing this type of strategy in Mt Hope and we're calling it an "S&D" strategy for the neighborhood; "Sustain & Develop". We realized that in order for the community as a whole to do well we have to be able to fully address the needs and concerns of neighborhood residents, while also supporting and providing positive opportunities for neighborhood residents to better themselves," said Watson. "It has to be simultaneous and strategic, but it's the only way to ensure that we're servicing the community the right way."
Watson continued, "I was just watching the documentary that Barnaby Evans put together for Waterfire and reflecting upon the fact that Providence has literally grown into a world class and renowned city. Then I look at the rampant unemployment and the violence and lack of achievement by many of our youth and I am reminded of his much work still needs to be done. I think the next Mayor, despite who they are, will need to be able to balance these two elements in order for our City to be the best that it can be."
Vision for the Future
Urbanist Cutler believes the next Mayor will need to be successful in marketing Providence -- to the rest of the world.
"We need someone who sees our city as a brand -- and values that, covets that, and thinks about that 24/7," said Cutler. "Not just as someone serving in office, but someone concerned with how the rest of the world perceives us."
Cutler noted that cities including Pittsburgh, Seattle, and Austin all had offices committed to advancing their city's "brand" -- and international cities did as well. "Copenhagen has Visit Copenhagen responsible for their brand...so does Pittsburgh with Global Pittsburgh. They're very much keeping a finger on the pulse, while finding new ways to advance their image."
"My fear is we're falling behind in these discussions internationally. We were once a "silk road" -- manufacturing, higher education, finance -- all roads led through Providence, and they don't anymore. We need to be relevant. How does our city remain relevant to the rest of the world? By attracting and retaining new talent," said Cutler. "I've worked with hundreds of students over ten years, and it's proven the brain drain theory. The easiest way for a community to retain students is to get them involved before they graduate."
On the topic of education, East Side parent Michele Meek, who has been an outspoken activist for bussing issues this year, said, "We need a mayor who's courageous and innovative, one who has the foresight and follow-through to make city-wide improvements, instead of a mayor who is using the job as a stepping stone. We need someone who can develop and implement concrete strategies to improve schools, transportation and employment in the city. We need less talk and more action."
Economic, Fiscal Priorities
Dan Baudouin with the Providence Foundation touched up the work accomplished -- and still needed to be done -- in downtown Providence.
"Our organization has enjoyed a close working relationship with Mayor Taveras, and we look forward to continuing that partnership with Providence’s next mayor and administration. Economic development remains a top priority, and we want to attract knowledge-based companies into the downtown district," said Baudouin. "We will continue to advocate for appropriate development incentives and a more competitive tax structure, including no increase in the tax rate for commercial properties. We are pleased with many recent improvements to the city permitting system, and we want to see that progress continue with the next mayor."
Cliff Wood, who works with the Providence Foundation, wore his hat as Director of the Downtown Providence Parks Conservancy to echo the need for open space cultivation. "We need to know that open spaces aren't just for fun, but necessary and essential reasons for why people move to cities and stay there," said Wood.
Wood acknowledged the fiscal reality facing the next chief exec in Providence. "We need a mayor who understands partnerships with a diverse set of stakeholders -- what city's could accomplish in the 40s, 50s, 60s, just doesn't hold true today."
Financial analyst Riley addressed what he saw as the dire "bottom line" scenario facing Providence -- and what the next Mayor might have to do to address it.
"The next Providence Mayor has serious financial issues to confront. I applied Moody’s current standards to correct for the misleading numbers issued by the city just last year. My analysis shows the Providence pension and OPEB problem are enormous -- combining to $ 59,000 in debt per household. Providence is only 21% funded and a candidate for receivership," said Riley. "They are simply the worst funded city in the Country for a city of greater than 50,000 population and that’s after the reforms
"Providence needs a “reset," said Riley -- who offered his suggested approach. "They need to move to a hybrid benefit plan. Current employees will have to take cuts. The town must honor older and low earning retirees by not touching their benefits but they also need to make clear that the rules have changed for all active members. They need to cut back services across the board and lower benefit factors. Providence should also impose a large supplemental tax," said Riley, who added, I give [Taveras] credit for raising taxes without revolt and for extracting payment in lieu of taxes from Providence institutions but he’s hit the wall on taxes and I doubt he can’t go back for more PILOT (payment in lieu of taxes).
Riley made a bold prediction for the future. "I expect there will be a call for Pension Obligation Bonds. These have been used in desperation by some cities , notably Woonsocket and Detroit , in order to delay the inevitable. That issuance , when it happens, is not a good sign."
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