Tagged: Angel Taveras

Providence Mayor Angel Taveras delivers his State of the City address this evening.  Treasurer Gina Raimondo says she has cleared out a backlog related to the crime victims compensation program.  These stories and more on the RIPR Morning News Podcast.

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Providence Mayor Angel Taveras faces a sharply different landscape as he prepares to deliver his second State of the City address at 5:30 pm Tuesday in the City Council Chambers at City Hall. A year ago at this time, Taveras warned of how Providence faced the possibility of going bust. Now, the mayor can tout considerable improvements in the city's fiscal standing - a narrative that meshes with his expected gubernatorial run in 2014.

Being Providence mayor is a tough job, but it isn’t all about filling potholes and budget deficits and cajoling municipal union leaders. On Sunday, Mayor Angel Taveras showed up at Veterans Memorial Auditorium to greet jazz great Wynton Marsalis.

Before introducing Marsalis, Taveras told the packed house that being mayor ``comes with certain privileges.’’

That phrase drew a ripple of  knowing Rhode Islandesque laughter. Taveras quickly deadpanned, ``I’m not Buddy.’’

Welcome back to my Friday column. Your thoughts and emails are welcome at idonnis (at) ripr (dot) org. Let's get to it.

Moody’s Investors Service is giving Providence mixed comments on its fiscal condition.

Moody’s says an audit revealing a $15 million Providence deficit for the last fiscal year could hurt the city’s credit rating. But it says Providence now has a balanced budget, and it calls that a sign of progress toward restored fiscal stability.

Mayor Angel Taveras inherited a $110 million deficit when he took office in 2011. Moody’s says a series of previous deficits caused by state aid cuts leave Providence little room for error if other revenue gets squeezed.