STATE HOUSE – Rep. Scott A. Slater (D-Dist. 10, Providence)
has called for the restoration of distressed community aid in the FY 2021 state
budget after it was eliminated in the governor’s budget proposal.
Representative Slater, a member of the House Finance Community, represents
Providence and has seen first-hand what these dollars mean to the struggling
capitol city.
“Providence is hurting right now. COVID-19 has
paralyzed our city, leaving too many of our businesses and residents fighting
to stay alive. Now is not the time to cut aid for our state’s capitol
city. If Providence falls, so does Rhode Island, which makes a reversal
of this ill-timed budget cut far more significant and important. Times
are tough, there is no doubt about that, but we, as a state, will only be able
to survive this pandemic if our capitol city is alive and thriving. This
will only be possible through the restoration of distressed community state aid
in the upcoming state budget,” said Representative Slater.
“In particular, Providence, as well as all of our
municipalities, are desperately struggling to stay afloat while COVID-19 costs
continue to rack up on their operational budgets.
Our cities and towns need our help and we cannot turn our
backs on them at this distressing time. As a member of the Finance
Committee, I will be strongly advocating for the restoration of these crucial
and much-needed dollars to the City of Providence,” concluded Representative
Slater.