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RI Governor Dan McKee. Photo: RI
The State of Rhode Island and Providence City Council are now going to provide WaterFire with financial support coming out of the pandemic.
GoLocal first reported last Friday that WaterFire Chief Executive Officer Peter Mello said the organization could cease to exist, following the City Council Finance Committee vote last Thursday not to fund their $300,000 request for federal funding under the American Rescue Plan Act.
“The Providence City Council will amend an ordinance, recently passed by the Committee on Finance, approving more than $42 million in American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) investments to include an additional $300,000 for WaterFire,” the city council office announced on Monday.
Espinal has served on the City Council for less than two years.
Espinal, a Democrat, was first elected to the City Council, replacing outgoing Council President Luis Aponte in a Special Election on November 5, 2019. He won the seat with 282 votes against Independent opponent Jeffrey Lemire’s 17 votes.
However, he first had to emerge out of a hotly-contested Democratic primary that fall for the seat which he did with 36% of the vote.
New Council Leadership
Another election for a top spot on the Council also took place on April 13. (Ward 7) Councillor John Igliozzi, a Democrat, was chosen President of the Council. His 23 years of service, the longest of all councilors, is a sharp contrast to Espinal’s less than two years on the board.