The Providence City Council voted Thursday, July 16, to give final approval to a new procurement ordinance for Providence Public Schools, adopted two tax and housing measures over objections from two councilors, and pulled back a proposed tax abatement tied to AS220 after questions about which businesses would benefit, according to the meeting recording.
School procurement ordinance passes 12-0 The council passed, on a second and final roll-call vote, an ordinance overhauling how Providence Public Schools handles procurement — the process by which the district buys goods and services. Councilor Davidson, the lead sponsor, said the change was developed with the school administration, the school board and a council working group, and is meant to speed up purchasing timelines as the district returns to local control after six years of state oversight. Several councilors, including Sanchez and Pichardo, credited Davidson's leadership on the measure. The vote covered items 7 through 11, 14 and 15 together and passed 12 in favor with three members absent.
Tax and housing ordinances pass 10-2, with objections On a separate roll call covering items 12 and 13, the council approved a local tax-treatment ordinance and a related "build" ordinance connected to affordable housing incentives, by a vote of 10 in favor to two opposed, with three absent. Councilor Ryan and Councilor Taylor cast the no votes. Ryan argued the tax-treatment ordinance set thresholds too low to meaningfully expand affordable housing and could leave workforce tenants vulnerable to displacement, and said the city risked legal challenges by diverging from state law. On the second measure, she said tying tax stabilization to zoning approvals created unpredictable costs for the city. Taylor did not detail his reasoning on the floor. Supporters, including Pichardo, argued the city could not wait for "perfect" legislation while renters — who he said make up close to 70 percent of the city's population — struggle to find housing.
AS220 tax abatement sent back to committee A proposed $165,000 property tax abatement connected to state legislation benefiting the nonprofit arts organization AS220 was pulled from a vote and returned to the council's Ways and Means committee. Ryan and Taylor raised concerns that the abatement, as written, would also apply to for-profit tenants in an AS220-affiliated building — including two restaurants and a bar — rather than to AS220 itself. Taylor separately asked the city solicitor whether a councilor could vote on the matter if a relative owned one of the businesses involved; the solicitor said she would need to research the question before responding. After a short recess, the sponsors withdrew the original motion and the council voted by voice to send the item back to committee for further review.
Councilor criticizes delay on rental assistance program Before adjourning for summer recess, Ryan used a point of personal privilege to criticize the council for not finalizing a rental assistance fund that all members had sponsored or co-sponsored. She said the administration had completed a public procurement process and selected a nonprofit to run the program, and that council approval of a contract and funding transfer was the only remaining step. She called on colleagues to hold a special meeting before the summer break to complete the approval, arguing that delays could put families at risk of eviction while the money sits unused. No vote was taken on her request Thursday.
Other resolutions and honors The council passed, by voice vote, a resolution supporting nearly 700 resident physicians and fellows at Rhode Island Hospital and Brown University Health who voted to unionize, calling on Brown University to agree to a contract with higher wages. It also passed a resolution congratulating Cabo Verde's national soccer team on its 2026 World Cup run and recognizing July 5 as Cabo Verde's Independence Day, and referred a resolution on a city investment program to the Ways and Means committee.
The council also approved a resolution honoring Roberto Gonzalez, an attorney and former Providence School Committee member who was one of the first Hispanic delegates elected to the Rhode Island Constitutional Convention, and requested the ceremonial renaming of Fisk Street in his honor. Councilor Peterson offered condolences for the recent death of her uncle, a longtime figure in her ward. Councilors also flagged upcoming Liberian and Puerto Rican community celebrations in the city later this month.
What's next The council voted to suspend its rules and cancel its first scheduled September meeting, resuming its regular schedule on Thursday, September 17. The AS220 abatement and the rental assistance fund remain pending, with no date set for further council action on either.