Improve Quality of Life
The City of Providence is at a critical juncture in our history. To unite and move our city forward, we need bold and responsive leadership. Additionally, we need a clear vision and an unwavering commitment to turn our bold ideas into action.
As a lifelong Providence resident, I know all too well the challenges that have kept the city from reaching its highest potential. It's time to aggressively tackle our systemic challenges head-on and this requires a clear plan with real, implementable solutions.
More than ever, we must stand united to deliver for the people while taking pride in our city and actively making it the most beautiful, creative city we know it can be.
As Councilman, I will continue to be a strong champion for our city, addressing quality of life issues, education, public health, and public safety, and advocating for expanding jobs and economic opportunities in the city.
As someone who is deeply passionate about creating meaningful, sustainable change that benefits all of our residents, I’ve been committed to protecting and enhancing the quality of life in Ward 1 neighborhoods and improving city services for all Providence residents.
Yet we have a long way to go. I believe that all of our residents have a fundamental right to live with dignity, access to economic resources, social inclusion, and the greatest quality of life. As such, these plans articulate a vision to help us tackle the quality of life challenges before us and ultimately build a cleaner, safer, and more prosperous city.
To do this, we must eliminate any complacency in our city government. With a more effective and efficient government spearheaded by persistent leadership, we can enable residents, businesses, and organizations to thrive and be as successful as they can be.
Ultimately, our vision is to secure a better future for all, and the people of Providence deserve nothing less. We must model this leadership and advocate for the cleanest and safest streets the city has ever seen. We must foster a sense of ownership and participation among all of our residents and all chip in to do our part.
Together, we can create the “world-class” city that we love and take pride in. So let's get to work. Read our 40-page quality of life plan here.
What We've Accomplished Together
Resolved Thousands and Thousands of Constituent Service Issues
• Successfully closed and resolved thousands and thousands of constituent services tickets related to public safety, park maintenance, trash collection, snow removal, tree-related issues, graffiti, new street signs, potholes, sidewalk repairs, permitting issues, taxes, etc.
Fought To Keep The Ward Clean and Safe
• Councilman John Goncalves aggressively tackled graffiti that’s amassed over the years before his term. Additionally, he refused to be complacent and took an assertive role in cleaning up areas that have been historically neglected. Councilman John Goncalves demanded the highest expectations from Department of Public Works employees, sponsored nearly two dozen neighborhood clean-ups, and took a hands-on approach to keep the Ward clean.
Made Government More Accessible & Brought Government To The People
• Substantially improved communications with constituents by holding monthly meetings and dozens of town halls where residents could voice their ideas and concerns directly to department heads in order to improve quality of life. Brought government to the people by having department heads attend our meeting such as the Director of the Department of Public Works, The City Traffic Engineer, Superintendent of the Providence Department of Parks + Recreation, The Director of Providence Emergency Management Agency, The Director of Sustainability & more. Special guests included Congressman David Cicilline, Treasurer Seth Magaziner, The Mayor of Providence, Infectious disease physician Dr. Philip A. Chan & a slew of other experts, leaders, and elected officials.
Dramatically Expanded Communication & Information Sharing To Improve Quality of Life
• Sent over 1.2 million total emails to constituents, including daily updates in the height of the pandemic to keep our community informed and safe. Expanding communication allowed us to engage residents and open the lines of communication allowing us to share information and rapidly respond to neighborhood issues.
Author and LEAD sponsor of over 50+ pieces of PASSED legislation
• Authored and sponsored over 50 pieces of passed legislation to improve quality of life related to housing/zoning issues, environmental and economic justice, public safety, schools, city finances, basic city services.
Launched Initiatives To Build Community
• Launched and spearheaded important neighborhood events and initiatives with community partners such as Produce In The Parks, Autumn Air In The Square, Ward 1 neighborhood clean-ups, Ward 1 Block Parties, Ward 1 Amusement Park, Ward 1 Movies In The Park & more. These events and initiatives brought our vibrant community together.
Improved Quality of Life For Our Children & Seniors
• Took on our housing issues, spearheaded the City’s environmentally preferable purchasing policy, tackled food insecurity in our Ward, fought for millions in funding, advocated tirelessly for our children, families, and seniors.
Promoted Ward 1 As A Truly Inclusive Community Where Everyone Matters and Everyone Counts
• Authored dozens of inclusive policies that affirmed and championed our LGBTQIA+, BIPOC, and AAPI communities.
• Lead sponsor on passed legislation recognizing International Transgender Day of Remembrance. Read more here.
• Lead sponsor on passed legislation Recognizing International Holocaust Remembrance Day. Read more here.
• Lead sponsor condemning AAPI Attacks & Denouncing Xenophobic Violence in light of the COVID pandemic. During this time, it was important to stand in solidarity with Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) community and explicitly condemn Asian hate and discrimination in our City. Read more here
• Lead sponsor on passed legislation that helped urge the Governor and RIPTA to reopen Kennedy Plaza bathrooms for bus riders because it was the right thing to do. Read more here.
The Work We Still Have To Do
The City of Providence is at a critical juncture in our history. We need bold and responsive leadership to unite and move our city forward. Additionally, we need a clear vision and an unwavering commitment to turn our bold ideas into action.
As a lifelong Providence resident, I know all too well the challenges that have kept the city from reaching its highest potential. It's time to tackle our systemic challenges head-on aggressively and this requires a clear plan with real, implementable solutions.
More than ever, we must stand united to deliver for the people while taking pride in our city and actively making it the most beautiful, creative city we know it can be.
As Councilman, I will continue to be a strong champion for our city, addressing quality of life issues, education, public health, and public safety, and advocating for expanding jobs and economic opportunities.
As someone deeply passionate about creating meaningful, sustainable change that benefits all of our residents, I've been committed to protecting and enhancing the quality of life in Ward 1 neighborhoods and improving city services for all Providence residents.
Yet we have a long way to go. All of our residents have a fundamental right to live with dignity, access to economic resources, social inclusion, and the greatest quality of life. As such, these plans articulate a vision to help us tackle the quality of life challenges before us and ultimately build a cleaner, safer, and more prosperous city.
To do this, we must eliminate any complacency in our city government. With a more effective and efficient government spearheaded by persistent leadership, we can enable residents, businesses, and organizations to thrive and be as successful as they can be.
Ultimately, our vision is to secure a better future for all, and the people of Providence deserve nothing less. We must model this leadership and advocate for the cleanest and safest streets the city has ever seen. We must foster a sense of ownership and participation among all of our residents and all chip in to do our part.
Together, we can create the “world-class” city that we love and can all take pride in. So let's get to work.