Providence City Council Unable to Override Smiley’s Veto of Rent Control, 5 Councilors Are No Shows

Providence City Council Unable to Override Smiley’s Veto of Rent Control, 5 Councilors Are No Shows

 

It was the tale of two stories.

 

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Five members of the Providence City Council simply did not show up for the Council meeting held on Friday night. John Goncalves (Ward 1), Ana Vargas (Ward 7), James Taylor (Ward 8), Pedro Espinal (Ward 10) and Oscar Vargas (Ward 15) did not attend.

 

The vote to override Smiley’s vote on the rent control ordinance failed by a vote of 9-1. By City Charter, an override requires 10 votes.

 

For the majority of the Providence City Council, the rent control legislation was an effort to control costs and promote equity in the housing market, and for the one councilor who attended Friday night’s meeting and opposed the legislation, it was a vote against a misguided policy.

 

The only opponent to the proposed ordinance who attended was Councilor Jo-Ann Ryan, Ward 5, and she stated, “This ordinance will not lower rents, and it has already caused them to rise.”

 

Councilor Justin Roias (Ward 4) blasted Mayor Brett Smiley, “The mayor has cited a number of skies are falling studies…the mayor’s veto doesn’t stop the housing crisis.

 

Councilor Miguel Sanchez (Ward 6)  was most passionate, saying, “I will die for the people of the city of Providence. I would never betray the people like some of my colleagues have.”

 

City Council President Rachel Miller, the architect of the legislation, said in a statement after the failed override, “I’m profoundly disappointed that Mayor Smiley and a small minority of the City Council chose to side with developers and corporate landlords over Providence renters. With nine out of fifteen city councilors defying big-money special interests to support rent stabilization, it’s clear the grip the real estate lobby has over City Hall is slipping. But tonight, that grip was still strong enough to block much-needed protections for working families. Until the next effort succeeds, the unfortunate reality remains: in Providence, it is still legal for a landlord to raise rent by unlimited amounts, for any reason.”

 

“Industry wants us to believe the sky will fall if there’s reform. But for working families, the sky is already falling, as concentrated real estate power turns Providence into a city so few can afford,” she added.

 

Political impact

For Smiley, the sustained veto is a political victory, but may be a political liability in his reelection campaign.  Primary challenger State Rep. David Morales will use the high cost of housing to paint a strong distinction between himself and Smiley. The Mayor has received hundreds of thousands from the development community.

 

At the end of the day, there are a lot more renters in Providence than landlords.