Path Of Hurricane Dean

Top Providence Posts Remain In Question

Not even seven months into his first term, Mayor Angel Taveras has managed to avoid mass layoffs, close a $110 million structural deficit and maintain his status as one of the most popular politicians in Rhode Island, all while being forced to deal with a series of moving parts in top-level positions within his administration.

Now, as passage of his first budget appears certain, Taveras is likely to shift his focus to addressing some of the city’s leadership challenges, which will include beginning the search for the Chiefs of the Police and Fire Departments, solidifying the school department and eventually introducing his Economic Development Director.

In a statement Thursday evening, Taveras called passing the budget an “important milestone” for the city’s fiscal recovery.

“The first passage of the FY12 budget follows nearly five months of deep spending reductions,” Taveras said. “Providence faced a $70 million deficit in FY11, which we reduced to $23,000 by the close of the fiscal year in June. Closing this gap has not been easy, and I know that many in Providence are feeling the effects. The passage of a balanced budget will be an important turning point for our City and I truly believe that brighter days are ahead.”

The milestone didn’t come without bumps in the road. As he attempted to navigate what he called a “category five fiscal hurricane,” Taveras was also forced to deal with retirement, resignation and scandal in three different top departments over the course of five months.

In February, Fire Chief George Farrell resigned after nearly 30 years in the department. Almost two months later, Tom Brady, the fourth Superintendent of schools in just 11 years, resigned from his post. Most recently, Police Chief Dean Esserman announced his resignation following an underage drinking party that took place at his East Side home.

While positions were filled in the interim, the budget crisis was Taveras’ top priority. In his budget, the Mayor called for a tax hike, union concessions, help from the state and more payments from the city’s nonprofits. He’s managed to achieve most of those priorities, something City Council President Michael Solomon attributes to strong collaboration between the Executive and Legislative branches of city government.

"The unanimous first passage of this budget speaks to the level of commitment council colleagues and City staff have shown throughout this budget process,” Solomon said. “Not enough can be said about the Administration and Internal Auditor's role in assuring this vote. Over the last 3 months there has been an unprecedented level of communication between the fiscal teams to ensure this budget honestly assesses and begins to redress our $110 structural deficit. This is a first and vital step forward on our path to firm financial footing.

OAS :: Press Releases :: E-197/07

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The Secretary General of the Organization of American States (OAS), José Miguel Insulza , expressed his solidarity with the governments and people on the path of Hurricane Dean. “The entire Inter-American community is monitoring Hurricane Dean, and stands committed to provide assistance to those whose lives have been affected in its path,” Insulza said. As the first major category storm of the 2007 season, Hurricane Dean has already caused extensive damage and losses of lives in the Dominican Republic, Haiti and Jamaica, and has further reached other Small Island States to the southeast, like St. Lucia, Dominica, and St. Vincent and the Grenadines. It is now moving steadily west over Mexico’s Yucatan Peninsula, after becoming a Category 5, and may regain strength when it hits sea again over the Bay of Campeche on Tuesday night, the US National Hurricane Center reported. “Extreme events such as hurricanes and earthquakes will continue to bring death and losses in personal properties, national and global economies. However, we can reduce the devastation caused by these events, by increasing the resilience of those most vulnerable, by adopting better building codes and zoning policies and plans, and protecting roads and communication networks, water and sanitation systems, and our natural resources. Despite the damages we have seen, the actions of governments in emergency planning and preparedness have lowered the potential damages from Hurricane Dean, and underscores that strong preventative measures do have tangible pay-backs,” Secretary General Insulza added. Before the 2007 hurricane season started, meteorologists expected seventeen tropical storms and hurricanes to pound the Caribbean, Central America, Mexico and the United States eastern seaboard, by the time it ends on November 30th. Of these, nine storms are likely to be named hurricanes, of which as many as five will be Category 3 or higher. Predictions are no more than “best guesses” based on data and statistical probability. Predictions draw on observations of thousands of data run in highly sophisticated models that weigh the average sea-surface temperatures in the mid-Atlantic basin—the single most important variable in predicting seasonal storms—as well as variables such as changes to El Nino conditions. Before June 30th, there was a 64 percent chance that at least one major hurricane would hit the United States, and it looks like Dean could fulfill this prediction early in the season. The odds were higher for a major hurricane to occur in the Caribbean, and Dean already met the odds.

2007 Annual Report: IICA's Contribution to the the Development of Agriculture and Rural Communities in Belize

Effects of Hurricane Dean in Mexico

Dominica, Use of Fund Resources - Request for Emergency Assistance - Staff Report : and Press Release on the Executive Board Discussion

Natural Disasters

2007 Atlantic Hurricane Season, Hurricane Dean