Elected Officials

David N. Cicilline

Mayor David N. Cicilline was born in the South Side of Providence, spent his childhood in Silver Lake, and then moved with his family to Narragansett, Rhode Island. He graduated Brown University magna cum laude and went on to earn a J.D. from the Georgetown University Law Center. He served as a public defender in Washington, D.C. before returning home to open a practice in criminal defense and civil rights law.

Cicilline began his political life serving four terms as state representative from Providence's East Side. He earned a reputation as a fierce champion of political reform and gun safety, and his dedication to ethics in government won him Common Cause's #1 ranking.

In 2002, when the City of Providence was buckling under a $59 million deficit, an archaic administrative infrastructure, and the legacy of decades of corruption, David Cicilline announced his candidacy for Mayor. He pledged to restore public confidence in City Hall and to revitalize the city's neighborhoods. The message resounded. Cicilline swept a four-way primary election and went on to easily win the general election.

Since taking office, Mayor Cicilline has produced unprecedented results. "Something remarkable is happening here. A city long renowned for the rackets and graft is being cleaned up by a reform-minded mayor. For Providence, it really is a new day," observed David Broder of the Washington Post.

City government is in the process of a comprehensive transformation. Employees from five city unions now work under new, 21st-century, professional contracts. Innovative tracking technology monitors the efficiency of service delivery in real time. 425 salaries have been eliminated, including 14% of management. Providence has dropped to 17th in the state for per-capita property tax.

Under Mayor Cicilline's leadership, Providence has seen a double-digit drop in the rate of crime in every major category, bucking the national trend. Much of the credit for this goes to an innovative community policing strategy that is forging a strong new partnership between neighbors and law enforcement.

By restoring trust in city government, Mayor Cicilline has ushered in $3 billion in new investment in the Providence. Downtown is both a powerhouse business district and an urbane and exciting place to live. At the same time, affordable housing is being developed at six times the rate of the 1990s.

Activity in Providence's 25 neighborhoods has reawakened. Mayor Cicilline's vision for a robust after-school system to rival those of wealthy suburban communities is now a reality. His program to bring performing arts into every neighborhood of the city is the recipient of the U.S. Conference of Mayors' prestigious Livability Award.

As he begins his second term in office after garnering 83% of the vote, David Cicilline has Providence poised to climb new heights. He continues to transform City Hall and to focus on improving the quality of life in every neighborhood. His optimism for his home city is boundless.

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