Political Profile: Jo-Ann Ryan, Candidate for Providence City Council, 5th Ward
GoLocalProv Political Team
Political Profile: Jo-Ann Ryan, Candidate for Providence City Council, 5th Ward
1. What do you think is the biggest political issue this campaign season in Providence?
Public Safety is the biggest political issue of this campaign. People deserve to feel safe in their homes, neighborhoods and communities. But safety is a very complex issue that can’t be attained with one or two solutions. We turn to law enforcement officers for so much. I believe they need all the resources we can give them, so I’m proud that the City Council has budgeted for the expansion of diversion programs and diversity training. Furthermore, the new civilian position within the police department, funded by the council, is an important step toward these goals. Let’s give officers more training with behavioral and mental health support services. Let’s return to community policing that builds relationships and trust. Let’s invest in quality youth programming and encourage non-violent programming for our kids. And let’s never take public safety for granted.
2. What do we need to do to improve Providence’s economy?
Housing is the cornerstone of our economy. We have a housing crisis. The economy will not grow if people cannot afford to live here. We simply need to build more homes at every price point to get our cost of housing under control. We need more affordable, workforce, market rate, elderly and supportive housing.
As the City Councilwoman from Ward 5 my priority was to capitalized the City’s Affordable Housing Trust Fund (AHTF) requiring ten (10%) percent of all tax revenue generated from all Tax Stabilization Agreements (TSAs) to be deposited into the AHTF to fund affordable housing development. In addition, in 2021, I drafted and passed a $26 million affordable housing bond, the first of its kind in the region, to assist with building and maintaining affordable housing.
Also, I wrote and passed the Student Housing Ordinance which prevents investors from buying up single family homes in residential neighborhoods and converting them into high costs student rentals. The law, now a model in other cities, preserves single family homes from being inappropriately repurposed and survived a RI Supreme Court appeal.
The state needs to organize housing development initiatives under one roof. I am encouraged that the state is prioritizing housing in this budget, but City and state officials need to coordinate efforts and to act with urgency.
3. What is the greatest challenge facing Providence as a City?
The City’s financial condition is our greatest challenge. We will not be able to improve our schools, deliver basic city services or maintain our roads and parks if we cannot pay our bills.
It was not that long ago when former Mayor Angel Taveras described our financial condition as, “a category 5 fiscal storm.” Since then, we dug our way out of the near junk bond rating by tightening our belts, refinancing high rate debt and borrowing smart -- all while keeping taxes in check. Today, we continue to work to rebuild our financial position, but we are challenged by our long-term pension obligation and revenue loss from our Payment In Lieu Of Taxes (PILOT) agreements that must be resolved. While the voters approved the recent Pension Obligation Bond (POB) proposal, soaring interest rates have challenged any utilization of this tool in the immediate future.
Over forty percent of our assessed real estate is owned by tax exempt intuitions. Yes, our world class institutions of higher learning and our state of the art medical facilities bring value to our communities, but there is also a basic question of fairness. Many of the PILOT agreements penned by prior administrations are now expiring. The City needs to negotiate from a position of strength and arrive at fair agreements that will sustain the City into the future.
4. Why are you running for office? What makes you qualified?
I am running to get things done for my constituents. I was born and raised in Providence and like my constituents, I love this city and want to see it succeed. As a woman who has worked in the financial world for over thirty years, I’ve learned how to work collaboratively to pass important legislation, such as the plastic bag reduction act (now a state law), liquor license reform, the $26 million historic affordable housing bond, over $430 million in school facility bond funding and re-established the City’s rainy-day fund. Some of my proudest accomplishments are, rebuilding Conley Stadium and opening the Armand Batastini Rec Center in the heart of the Fifth Ward, the most attended rec center in the city providing free meals and quality afterschool programming for neighborhood families.
5. Who is your inspiration?
My late parents, Tom and Eve Flanagan, are my inspiration. They were children of immigrants and products of the Great Depression. They worked long hours and hard days in middle-class jobs. They sacrificed throughout their lives in order to build a better future for my brother Tom and I. By their example, they instilled in me values of family, hard work, self-worth and the importance of contributing to your community. They scrimped and saved, and as a result, I enjoyed opportunities they didn’t have. They encouraged me and I wouldn’t be where I am without their love and support.
Biography
I love Providence. I grew up here in the neighborhoods I represent, and I have raised my family here as well. I live on Pleasant Valley Parkway with my husband of 34 years, attorney Thomas J. Ryan. Our adult children, attorney Brendan F. Ryan and Megan F. Ryan, TCRG, MBA also live in the 5th Ward. My parents were hard-working people. Mom, Eve Flanagan, worked 12-hour days in her beauty salon on Academy Avenue in the heart of the ward, and my dad, Tom Flanagan, was a Providence police officer. My strong work ethic came from their quiet examples, a work ethic I bring to my role as an Elected Official.
I earned my Undergraduate and Masters of Business Administration (MBA) Degrees from Providence College with a concentration in Finance. I am a professional woman, wife and mom. My education, experience and passion make me a strong advocate for my constituents in Elmhurst, Mt. Pleasant and Manton.
I have a solid career in finance (currently I am a vice president at Customers Bank), and my forward-thinking financial programs have won numerous national awards for helping working families to buy, rent and keep an affordable home.