Gonzalo Cuervo, one of three Democrats running to be the next mayor of Providence, said Wednesday he wants to raise the focus on neighborhood-based economic development as a way of fostering a more equitable city.
Backed by a group of supporters on the steps of City Hall, Cuervo sketched out a detailed economic plan.
His proposals include working with the governor and legislative leaders on shared priorities, investing in emerging opportunities to capitalize on the Port of Providence, and creating a community development financial institution to back local businesses and seek federal resources.
“Many of the challenges that Providence continues to face, including housing affordability, poor performing schools and public safety, are underscored by a widening opportunity gap that impacts us all, regardless of zip code,” Cuervo said. “As mayor, I will prioritize closing that gap and lifting thousands of families into the middle class through targeted strategies and investments in Providence’s greatest asset: its people.”
Asked how his approach on trying to narrow economic disparities would be different from the current mayor of Providence, Jorge Elorza, or his predecessors, Cuervo said it comes down to raising the focus in the capital city’s neighborhoods.
“When we are talking about a city that is between 60 and 70% minorities, people of color, however you want to refer to it, we cannot continue to talk about economic development without ensuring that those communities are front and center,” Cuervo said, “and that we’re investing in those communities, we’re seeing those communities and we’re providing resources for those communities.”
While Providence has long struggled to generate more revenue, Cuervo said his neighborhood plan can be achieved by shifting existing resources.
He also called for reducing the reliance on tax stabilization agreements to back development in Providence.
According to Smiley’s campaign, an internal poll conducted by Elorza shows Smiley with a five-point lead over Cuervo, 31 to 26%, with LaFortune having 20% of the support.
The September 13 primary will decide who succeeds Elorza after two terms at City Hall, since the three Democrats are the only candidates in the race.
Cuervo served as chief of staff for former Mayor Angel Taveras and later in the same role for Secretary of State Nellie Gorbea. He said he is not concerned about the findings from Smiley’s poll and that it lines up with his expectations for the state of the race.
In a statement earlier this week, Smiley’s campaign said, “Brett has the momentum in this race because he understands that people in every neighborhood of Providence want the same things: safe and well-maintained streets, high-quality schools, and a city government that gets the simple things right.”
Smiley served as a high-level aide to Elorza and former Gov. Gina Raimondo.
LaFortune, the current city councilor from Ward 3, recently released a plan for her first 100 days as mayor.
In a statement, her campaign said, “Having a platform that speaks to the moment that Providence finds itself in is important. That is why we have had our full platform on our website along with a portal for people to submit suggestions for months now. That is not a recent development for our campaign. Nirva’s platform has two pages focused on making the economy accessible and ensuring that small businesses have the opportunity to grow their business.”
Ian Donnis can be reached at idonnis@ripr.org
