Providence Mayor Jorge Elorza yesterday in a media conference revealed his budget proposal for spending the city's American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds totaling $123.8M.
Under the proposed budget, Arts, Tourism and Hospitality would be supported to the tune of $7.7M, distributed like this:
- Arts, culture and special events: $1,225,000
- FirstWorks, producers of the PVDFest outdoor arts festival scheduled to be held in June: $275,000
- Cultural facilities: $4,200,000
- Public art to encourage tourism: $800,000
- Tourism marketing: $700,000
- Providence-Warwick CVB: $500,000 (I assume this is the Hospitality piece.)
Other budget items include:
- Business and economic development: $5.3M
- City services and infrastructure: $12.5M
- Housing and homelessness: $26.1M
- Racial equity: $15.0M
- Youth and community investments: $12.2M
- General fund: $28.0M
- FY22 and FY23 administrative expenditures: $3.0M
