The Providence City Council is the fifteen-member

legislative A legislature is an assembly with the authority to make laws for a political entity such as a country or city. They are often contrasted with the executive and judicial powers of government. Laws enacted by legislatures are usually known as p ...

body of the city of

Providence, Rhode Island Providence is the capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Rhode Island. One of the oldest cities in New England, it was founded in 1636 by Roger Williams, a Reformed Baptist theologian and religious exile from the Massachusetts Bay ...

. The two major responsibilities of the council are enacting

ordinance Ordinance may refer to: Law * Ordinance (Belgium), a law adopted by the Brussels Parliament or the Common Community Commission * Ordinance (India), a temporary law promulgated by the President of India on recommendation of the Union Cabinet * ...

s necessary to ensure the welfare and good order of the city and adopting the city's annual

budget A budget is a calculation play, usually but not always financial, for a defined period, often one year or a month. A budget may include anticipated sales volumes and revenues, resource quantities including time, costs and expenses, environmenta ...

. Providence uses a strong-mayor form of government in which the city council acts as a check against the power of the executive branch, the mayor. The members of the Providence City Council are

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by residents of the fifteen wards of Providence. City Council members are elected to four-year terms and are limited, by

City Charter A city charter or town charter (generically, municipal charter) is a legal document (''charter'') establishing a municipality such as a city or town. The concept developed in Europe during the Middle Ages. Traditionally the granting of a charter ...

, to serving a maximum of three consecutive full terms (excluding any partial term of less than two years previously served). Council members represent the concerns, needs, and issues of their constituents, and work to improve the city's neighborhoods.

City Council members, by ward

The current City Council consists of: *Ward 1: Councilman John Goncalves *Ward 2: Councilwoman Helen Anthony *Ward 3: Councilwoman Nirva LaFortune *Ward 4: Councilman Nicholas J. Narducci, Jr., Senior Deputy Majority Leader *Ward 5: Councilwoman Jo-Ann Ryan *Ward 6: Councilman Michael Correia *Ward 7: Councilman John Igliozzi, Council President *Ward 8: Councilman James Taylor, Majority Leader *Ward 9: Councilwoman Carmen Castillo, Majority Whip *Ward 10: Councilman Pedro Espinal, Council President Pro Tempore *Ward 11: Councilwoman Mary Kay Harris, Deputy Majority Leader *Ward 12: Councilwoman Katherine Kerwin *Ward 13: Councilwoman Rachel Miller *Ward 14: Councilman David Salvatore *Ward 15: Councilman Oscar Vargas All fifteen members of the council are members of the

Democratic Party Democratic Party most often refers to: *Democratic Party (United States) Democratic Party and similar terms may also refer to: Active parties Africa *Botswana Democratic Party *Democratic Party of Equatorial Guinea *Gabonese Democratic Party *Demo ...

External links

Providence City Council official website
Organizations based in Providence, Rhode Island Government of Providence, Rhode Island City councils in the United States {{ProvidenceRI-stub