Mayor Cicilline Takes Steps to Bring Transparency to Tax Collector's Office
Action steps include the creation of a new website by Executive Order to publicize all transactions in the Tax Collector’s Office involving adjustments in tax payments 

[Click on the video image below to watch Mayor Cicilline's entire news conference]

 

Mayor David N. Cicilline this week announced a series of action steps his administration is taking to bring greater transparency and accountability to the City’s Tax Collector’s Office.  The sweeping changes are in response to a number of deficiencies identified in the Tax Collector’s Office by KPMG, a nationally recognized accounting firm hired at the direction of the Mayor to conduct an independent forensic audit of that office.

The objective of the forensic audit was to investigate the circumstances surrounding the acceptance of a check, known to have insufficient funds, by the Tax Collector from the Mayor’s brother as collateral for outstanding taxes, and to review the broader operations of the Tax Collector’s Office. 

“It’s clear from the audit that despite the extraordinary gains we’ve made in modernizing and professionalizing Providence City government, the Tax Collector’s Office has existed as a serious blind spot,” said Mayor Cicilline.  “The audit depicts an office where a single individual exercised extraordinary personal discretion with almost nothing in the way of real professional guidelines, policies or procedures.”

Mayor Cicilline said the forensic audit supports the City’s new Finance Director Bruce Miller’s original conclusion that new leadership is needed in the Tax Collector’s Office.  During a review of the Tax Collector’s Office shortly after Miller’s arrival in the fall of 2007, the Mayor said Miller “had serious concerns about the operation of that office” which ultimately led the Finance Director to ask for Ceprano’s resignation in September of 2008.

“The action steps I am about to announce are not based on any single incident, but on a collective review of all of the facts,” said the Mayor.

Mayor Cicilline announced a series of steps designed to bring transparency and accountability to the Tax Collector’s Office:
- Create a search committee for new leadership in the Tax Collector’s Office which will be chaired by Norman B. Richter, Vice President for Taxes at Textron
- Signed an Executive Order creating a new open government website, Providencesunshine.com, to ensure that any time the Tax Collector’s Office grants a waiver of interest on overdue taxes or unpaid taxes, details of the arrangement and the basis for the waiver will be posted for the entire public to review
- Submit an ordinance to the City Council that will broaden the responsibilities of the Board of Assessment Review to give taxpayers an independent body that will hear their appeals and make a formal recommendation to the Tax Collector’s Office

Cicilline said his administration will also implement 12 recommendations from the KPMG audit, study nine others for future implementation and work with software vendors to discuss the feasibility of implementing four others.  Some of the measures that will be implemented immediately include:
- Implement an automated tax payment process as fully as is technologically possible
- Implement internal security measures to insure against theft in the Tax Collector’s Office
- Impose stricter policies on the handling of funds and access to the safe in the Collector’s Office
- Adopt a formalized and consistent approval policy for interest rate effective dates
- Impose a secondary review of all tax payment plans

  
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City of Providence Accepting Applications for Dexter Donation Grant
Charitable fund distributes thousands of dollars annually in grants to local community and non-profit agencies

Mayor David N. Cicilline announced today that the City will begin accepting grant applications for the Dexter Donation charitable fund on Monday, February 2, 2009. Applications are available online at the city’s website, and at the City Clerk’s office in City Hall. 

The fund, which was established in the last will and testament of the late philanthropist Ebenezer Knight Dexter, distributes thousands of dollars in grants each year to community and non-profit agencies for the “support and maintenance of the poor” in Providence.

“The Dexter Donation supports many of our smaller agencies that are so critical to the work we’re doing to strengthen our neighborhoods and build a healthy, safe community,” said Mayor David N. Cicilline. “Through the kind generosity of one individual, this fund has brought new hope and opportunity to Providence residents for more than 180 years.”

Criteria:
In light of the current economic hardship facing many Providence families, consideration will be given only to proposals and/or programs relating to food, clothing, shelter and healthcare.

Eligible Expenditures:
- New and/or expanded programs or projects.  Components subject to funding include administration, personnel and equipment costs.
- Capital needs include the purchase of equipment, construction and renovations.

General Requirements:
- To be eligible for a grant from the Dexter Donation Commission, an agency must be a private, non-profit organization, (with tax-exempt status), serving Providence’s citizens.
The Dexter Donation Commission will not fund deficits.
- Religious organizations with proposals relating to non-sectarian works only will be considered.
- Grants will not be given to individuals.
- Research grants will not be given.
- No grant will be over $2,000 in amount, except where special circumstances prevail.

The deadline for Dexter Donation grant proposals is Monday, March 2, 2009, at 4:30pm. Completed applications must be mailed or delivered to the City Clerk’s Office - 25 Dorrance Street, Providence, RI 02903.  Grant recipients will be announced at the end of March.
 

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Mayor Cicilline Announces Nominees for Providence School Board
School Board appointees include two individuals who received their primary education in Providence public schools

Mayor David N. Cicilline announced his four choices for the Providence School Board.  Stressing the nominees’ “unique qualifications and commitment to public service,” the Mayor appointed the following candidates to the School Board: Magaly Sanchez, Melissa A. Malone, Brian M. Lalli and Katherine McKenzie, who has been reappointed to a second term on the Board.  

“The fact that there were so many qualified candidates interested in serving on the Providence School Board speaks volumes about our community’s commitment to our children,” said Mayor Cicilline.  “Each of the of the individuals selected to serve on the Board offer a unique perspective and expertise that will go a long way towards helping to accelerate student achievement.”

Magaly Sanchez is currently employed by the Fall River School Department as Vice Principal at the John J. Doran School in Fall River.  She previously held the position of Facilitator for Student Registration and Assignment in the Providence School Department where she was responsible for managing 10,000 to 15,000 transactions per year related to enrollments, in-student transfers, waiting-list transfers, household changes and student placements.  A graduate of Hope High School, she holds a Master’s degree in Education Leadership from the University of Rhode Island and is currently working toward her Master’s degree in Education from Cambridge College.

Katherine F. McKenzie has been a resident of Providence since 1996, and recently retired as Group Executive Vice President and head of Human Resources for Citizens Financial Group, Inc., the parent company of Citizens Bank and Charter One. A graduate of Lenoir Rhyne College in Hickory, North Carolina, with a degree in Secondary Education English, she has spent her life in financial services, working her way up from a bank teller to a leading administrator for the Citizens Financial Group, where she was responsible for 27,000 employees in 48 of the 50 United States.

Melissa A. Malone is an attorney with the firm Taylor Duane Barton & Gilman, LLP, where she represents various entities including: brokerage companies, product manufacturers, realtors, corporations, corporate officers, physicians and a variety of other clients.  She holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from Trinity College and a Law degree from University of Connecticut School of Law.  

Brian M. Lalli is currently the director of Residential Life and Housing at Rhode Island College where he is responsible for the management of the facilities and operations of the residential campus.  A graduate of Hope High School, Lalli holds a Master of Science degree from the University of Rhode Island and is working towards a certificate in advanced graduate study at Rhode Island College.

McKenzie, Malone and Lalli have been appointed to three-year terms.  Magaly has been appointed to complete the remaining two years of former School Board member Mary McClure, who resigned on January 1, 2009.  The Mayor’s four nominees have been submitted to the City Council for consideration.

 

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Mayor Cicilline joined friends, family and community members of the Italo-American Club this month in installing their 2009 Board of Directors led by President Robert Sullo and Vice President Michael Coletta.   Other members of the Board include Treasurer Michael Gentili, Orlando Andreoni, Robert J. DeSimone, Alex DiGilio, Steven Mercurio, and Joseph Rendine.  A renowned Providence institution, the Italo-American Club celebrates a rich tradition of community service and support of charitable causes for young people in their community. [return to top]

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Feature: My Community

PASA Director Hillary Salmons Takes On A ‘Can-Do’ Spirit
 

 

Investing in the youth of Providence has also been a top priority of Mayor Cicilline’s administration.  In 2004, he launched the Providence After School Alliance, or PASA, the city’s first, comprehensive after-school program.  Five years later, Providence middle school students are reaping the benefits of spending their after school time wisely and productively, partaking in activities that they may never have experienced if not for the presence of PASA’s AfterZones in their neighborhoods. 

 

Armed with a ‘can-do’ spirit, education veteran and PASA director Hillary Salmons, together with partners in the public and private sectors, is gaining national attention for PASA as a model for citywide after school programs that work.  Soon, the program, which has been geared exclusively towards middle school students, will integrate high schoolers too in the mix.  

 

City News caught up with Salmons for an update on the many achievements of Providence’s exceptional after school program.

 

Looking back to 2004, when the Mayor first tapped you to realize his vision for a citywide after school program - to present day - how is PASA doing?

It’s doing great actually.  Last year, we served about 1,800 youth.   Participation has increased as well as the number of days that they have stayed in the program.  That is the first sign – that the young person is engaged and that their parents are helping to sign them up. 

 

When I think of the system that we’ve developed, it’s very inclusive of a network of about 60 providers who are applying each year for AfterZone grants to provide programs.  We’ve been able to disseminate about $500,000 worth of grants out to community artists, scientists, and others to really build a collective team of youth educators who are developing really high quality programs. 

 

At the beginning, when we did a survey of youth and parents, they lamented the poor quality of programming and that they had no choice.  So in addition to increasing access, we’ve really worked hard to increase the quality of after school programs in the city.  That has been very helpful at getting all of us to rise to the occasion, and all the providers have been participating very actively in professional development training, in developing curriculum, and over half of them have volunteered themselves in quality assessment to really examine their practice and improve it. 

 

These are huge steps.  When we started, fewer than 500 kids reported doing something more than one day a week in the middle school years.  So I think we’ve built a really robust, high quality, and fun learning system for middle school youth.

 

For a middle school student who's been through the program since the beginning, how do you think life has changed?

The youth are saying that they’re learning a lot more than ever.  They are identifying with something that is cool and outside of their neighborhoods; so they’re exploring, taking field trips, having adventures, like when they go sailing with Save the Bay, or metalworking at the Steel Yard.  They’re experiencing things beyond their community and seeing real life situations where they’re learning to do things like make movies, create ceramics, build bulletproof plastics, crochet scarves – hands-on skills, many of which are connected to what they’re learning and doing at school, like applying art, science and math.  

 

They’re also getting a taste of careers, like having relationships with police officers, veterinarians, scientists, and so many more.  So I think in making real-world connections and in meeting really cool and passionate young leaders, I think it’s really filling their days.  And, it really is fulfilling the Mayor’s vision to create a robust day of learning where kids can explore their passions, and be attended to by caring adults who care about their success.

 

Edutopia, and the George Lucas Educational Foundation, has recently chosen to put the spotlight on PASA on the basis that it is "An After-School Network That Works."  In the video that they produced about PASA, you say, "It's really about having a 'can-do spirit,' that there's never enough we can do for the kids."  How has this "can-do" inspired people to jump on the PASA bandwagon? 

(To watch the video feature on PASA, click on the image to the left.)

A lot of credit goes to the Mayor.  He has such energy when it comes to youth and such a vision for their potential.  And he shares that with the AfterZone community and the PASA partners so regularly that it’s rather infectious.  Something also about youth workers and the after school community – their first priority is connecting with youth and they’re the most impassioned, motivated people. 

 

So that energy combined with the Mayor’s vision and commitment is really unstoppable, in terms of realizing the potential of our youth community.  It’s a wonderful dynamic combination of great leadership in the city, starting with the team that the Mayor has assembled, from the police chief, to the recreation center director, to the administration, that has basically taken on that ‘can-do’ spirit and made it work – and to the youth that are participating, and to the partners from the non-profit community saying, ‘why don’t we try something different’.  It’s at the place of collaboration where we can do something better together.

 

I think also that in the middle school years, when kids are still optimistic, fresh, and equipped with minds like sponges, where we all can find that ‘can-do’ spirit.

 

Another foundation, the C.S. Mott Foundation, has also mentioned Providence and PASA in their call to action for a “New Day for Learning.”   It talks about a new learning system -- a 21st Century educational environment.  How does PASA see its role in the New Day for Learning?

The concept behind this seamless new day of learning is that there’s a connection between the activities happening after school and the activities going on in school.  By providing hands-on experiences  relevant to 21st Century work skills, team building skills, and application for math, science, and literacy skills, within the context of a cool work environment, I think that’s where we help make those connections with what the teachers are working on back in the classroom.  To do that though we need to be more intentional about partnering with the schools. 

 

The schools have made terrific hosts by making space available, recruiting youth, promoting PASA, but I think we’ve reached this junction where there’s opportunity to build more intentionally.  For example, if the kids are learning about the life systems that exist in Narragansett Bay through Save the Bay and PASA, then I think there needs to be a connection to that with their core curriculum science studies in the classroom.  Our goal is to look at ways to team up teachers with some of the after school providers and cross-fertilize each other in terms of making core curriculum connections. 

 

The whole point with the after school program is to reduce behavior problems and build up positive social and emotional climates for the kids.  Again, it’s our goal to link up with the faculty of our schools and think about ways we can do that together.  Those are the opportunities that foundations like Mott are looking to us to fertilize.

 

Tell us about the transition into creating a PASA-like program for high school students.

There was a team of high school after school experts who call themselves the Youth Collective.  They spent half a year working with 30 youth interns to develop a dynamic high school after school time plan, which we will be featuring at a community meeting to talk about building communications, technology, and transportation connections and developing a space that youth can come to and get information on after school opportunities.  So that plan has been presented to the PASA board and we’re investing $150,000 in getting it to the next stage and have taken on a staff member part-time to get the plan ignited.  It’s gone through a first-stage design, we’re going through the next stage design, and then also apply for funding for it.

 

What’s next for PASA?

Well, the high school plan is definitely in the horizon.  The other thing that we’re working diligently on is to develop a summer program to grow the AfterZone school year into a more intensive model for standard learning.  We’ve been successful thus far because the Mayor and PASA have  brought the public and private sectors together in such a unique way to really share ideas and mobilize resources to work collectively, so much so that we’ve gained national attention.  And because resources are so limited in these times, if we are strategic and if we continue to work together to move our youth forward, people will come and invest in this vision. 

 

To watch the video feature on PASA by the George Lucas Educational Foundation, go to http://www.edutopia.org/pasa-after-school-program-video.  For more on PASA, go to www.mypasa.org.

 

 

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