Contact: Lauren Nocera | Lauren@AngelForProvidence.com | 401-529-9684

PROVIDENCE - Angel Taveras today released his plan to improve city services and to use state of the art technology to streamline and make more efficient the delivery of city services.

"Whether you are a small business applying for a permit or a resident paying your taxes, your interaction with the city should be efficient and courteous.  Unfortunately, however, City Hall can be a confusing place for residents and businesses alike," said Taveras.  "As Mayor, I will make sure that City Hall works for its customers - the people and businesses of Providence."

"Further, technology has changed the way the world functions in business, in communication, in education and more.  In the year 2010, it is past time that we bring technology to bear on the way government functions," said Taveras.  "As Mayor, I will embrace the use of new technologies to make City government work more efficient, more transparent and more effective for our businesses and our residents."

Taveras outlined his plan to improve city services as follows:

• Bring the Office of Neighborhood Services into the communities they serve by establishing local offices in libraries, community centers and other local organizations.  Citizens can then access government services in their own neighborhood rather than coming downtown.
• Create a state-of-the-art website – a citizen dashboard – so that residents can engage city government in a variety of ways without having to enter City Hall.
• Develop innovative ways for residents to interact with City Government, such as reporting potholes on smart phones, paying taxes online and connecting electronically with neighbors about important citywide issues.
• Establish a citywide permit parking system for year-long residents.
• Double the Mayor’s reward - and the associated fines and penalties - for information leading to the detection, apprehension and conviction of individuals involved in graffiti vandalism.
• Streamline city interaction by creating a one-stop 3-1-1 hotline to report broken street lights, lost pets, noise violations and the like.
• Place important city meetings including the School Board, the City Council, and more online on live streaming video and in online searchable databases that include forums for citizen feedback.

"There is no more important job as Mayor than ensuring that the roads are paved, the streets are plowed and the people of Providence can quickly and efficiently accomplish their business with City Hall," concluded Taveras. "My plan to improve city services makes top-notch customer service a priority - the people of Providence deserve no less."