Political Profile: Shelley Ciccia-Peterson, Candidate for Providence City Council in the 14th Ward

Saturday, August 13, 2022

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Shelley Ciccia-Peterson is a Democratic candidate for Providence City Council in the 14th Ward. Here is what she has to say.

 

 

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1. What do you think is the biggest political issue this campaign season in Providence?

First off, I have to say, I’m extremely excited and hopeful about the potential this incoming city council has to really deliver some impactful change to our city. Whether its passion, experience or personal fulfillment, the council is shaping up to be exemplary in guiding the near future for our community residents.

That said, I believe the biggest political issue in Providence this campaign season is the acknowledgment of systemic challenges facing our city and the limited capacity to really start making said changes. I come from the nonprofit world, where we create strategic plans of what the next 3-5 years will look like for the ongoing development of the organization. In this city we have such talent and resources at our disposal and we underutilize them. It’s time to have everyone pull up a seat at the table and really work to uncover the limitless potential this city has.

 

2. What do we need to do to improve Providence's economy?

In every city, some of the largest sources of revenue are user charges, property taxes, state aid and sales taxes. When 44% of the land in the city can’t be taxed and we continue to rely heavily on the residential property taxes to offset some of this, we’re continuing to cut pieces from the proverbial pie and there’s little to nothing left. We have huge selling points in our city through the local colleges and universities in close proximity and again are underutilizing the benefits that they bring. We offer some of the country’s best restaurants and local attractions and yet, it’s difficult to open a business here in the city. We have the opportunity to make some serious investments in the area of environmental sustainability and should be taking the lead statewide and have yet to do so. 

 

3.  What is the greatest challenge facing Providence as a city?

Every day across the city, emergencies occur that threaten people's life, well-being, property, peace, and security. Public safety is hands down the greatest challenge that we face as a city. We’re stuck in this rut of pointing fingers and “thoughts and prayers” meanwhile our kids are dying and people don’t feel safe in their homes. We are at a literal standstill to protect our children and our homes. But this makes me want to work harder.

As a Latina, I know all too well the barriers that are present in the everyday lives of the people of color in my community. The reality is that it’s not the same for all of us. Some people have an advantage that some of us don’t. It’s built in the structures of the way we address issues, keep areas of the city impoverished and underdevelop the homegrown resources at our disposal. I believe that there is absolutely no time like the present to assert the importance of our voices and develop a standard of norms as to how we will combat the issue of public safety in our neighborhoods. It starts with us.

 

4.  Why are you running for office? What makes you uniquely qualified? 

I’m running for office because I have been a constituent in my ward for almost 20 years and have advocated for resources for my neighbors and Providence for almost that same amount of time and I realized that there are issues that need to be dealt with by leaders who are willing to have difficult conversations to create change necessary to create the equity we’re asking for. My experience in obtaining resources for our underserved communities has taught me to be a steward of my community and I believe that as a city councilor, I’ll be able to continue being that steward at a larger scale.

 

5.  Who is your inspiration? 

I’m inspired by selfless everyday women who continuously make choices to support others (their children, their families, their careers) in spite of adversity, hardship and challenges faced every day in our lives. At a local level, I’m inspired by Diana Garlington who is running for District 5 in our state. Diana is the most selfless person I’ve met in a very long time and her personal story is heart-wrenching and inspirational.  I’m lucky to have met and proud to support her. We have no idea what we’re capable of in our struggles and who we’re inspiring in the process. She’s a fierce but quiet force.

 

Bio: Shelley Ciccia-Peterson is a Peruvian-born American living in Ward 14 for 18 years.  As a child immigrant, Shelley understood early on the importance of adapting quickly, being the oldest in her family and needing to help her family acclimate and adjust to a new world.  Poverty was a constant reminder that she wanted a better future for herself and her future family.  

Shelley grew up in East Providence, living in Riverside in her early years and moving to central East Providence in high school.  Buying a home was always the dream for her parents.  That home was pivotal as she began understanding the reasons why her parents wanted more for their children and the toll it took on them as working-class people.  She was the first in her family to graduate from college and the first to receive her Masters degree.  

Shelley attended college in Boston and in-part attributes her tenacity and drive from working in organizations in Boston.  Working in the non-profit sector for many years, Shelley now has her own small business as a grant writer and consultant.

A mom of two, Shelley and her husband Doug have been active in the community for many years.  Doug is an active Baseball coach for Elmhurst Youth Baseball and she was played a founding role in the renovations at Fargnoli.  Knowing that kids need to have many spaces to provide enrichment so that kids can learn new interests in and out of school is part of her motivation to pursue office.

The city of Providence needs a person like Shelley who will continue to work hard to ensure that the Ward’s neighbors are represented.  Shelley believes that in City leadership, your focus is to ensure that the needs are residents are of primary concern.  Bringing back the commitment to providing quality resources at a local level and doing it to exceed expectations, allows for deeper level impact about the larger needs that are necessary to make the city prosper.

 

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