David Cicilline at BIF-1

Winston Churchill said “democracy is the worst form of government except for all those others that have been tried.” Providence Mayor David Cicilline is not one to disparage our form of government -- especially since it’s responsible for the job he loves -- but he does recognize that democracy imposes special challenges when it comes to innovation. Whether new ideas set sail or get shipwrecked is often contingent on an unstable political environment.

Still, innovation has already become a hallmark of Mayor Cicilline’s first term. In some ways it was born of necessity. Cicilline was elected to office inheriting a massive budget shortfall and a workforce whose morale had been eroded by corruption at the highest levels of government. “The city has been a like a star quarterback who’s been playing hurt for a long time and now it has to rehab the injury, learn a new offense, and still perform on Sunday. We’ve had to try to heal a sick culture, reorganize government for the 21st century, and deliver quality city services.”

Changing a Culture

The government of Providence is in the process of transitioning from a model of central authority with tight control of information to a more open, professional, customer-oriented model. He has sought to make government more transparent and predictable, believing that cold-eyed self-assessment is just as important in government as it is in business. That means being open to public criticism and blame, which contains political risk. However, Cicilline thinks it’s worth short term political hits for the trust it buys the city in the long run.

The importance of trust, the Mayor believes, goes beyond basic morality. It is a fundamental component of economic development. It is the difference between a city with potential and a city that is realizing that potential by attracting investors who believe they’re putting their money in a safe place.

Ideas in service of a better city

Mayor Cicilline has made recruitment of his leadership team a top priority. In his quest to make merit come before political connections in government, he has led by example. He has lured people from the upper ranks of the business community who may never have imagined they would engage in city government. He brought in a nationally known protégé of former New York Police Commissioner William Bratton to turn around a Providence Police force that had become notorious. And he has let his leader innovate.

Cicilline has implemented a community policing program that has become a national model for the strength of its community partnership. He has forged a partnership with the Wallace Foundation to implement a citywide after-school program for every Providence middle school student. He negotiated the city’s first-ever tax compact with the colleges and universities, brought together architects and city planners to help envision a healthy growth model for the city over the long term, and reached 21st-century, professional contracts with Providence’s non-public-safety unions.

Creativity is one of the core values of the City of Providence, and Mayor Cicilline believes that makes not only a haven for great artists and designers but also the next generation of entrepreneurs.