September 2012 Providence Poll: Voters Worry Over City Finances

October 1, 2012

Most Providence voters — nearly 86 percent — are concerned about the city’s budget issues but are divided on suggested ways to reform the current pension plan, according to a recent public opinion survey conducted by the Taubman Center at Brown University. The survey was undertaken in conjunction with the annual Thomas J. Anton/Frederick Lippitt Urban Affairs Conference, scheduled for Thursday, Oct. 25, 2012, at Brown.

PROVIDENCE, R.I. [Brown University] — Voter sentiments over the state of Providence finances have changed little during the last year, according to a new Brown University survey. A significant majority of Providence voters (85.9 percent) characterized the city’s budget problems as somewhat serious or very serious. This response is similar to a Brown University poll taken around the same time last year, when 86 percent of city voters said that they didn’t believe the city was recovering well from the recession. Despite these continuing concerns, Mayor Angel Taveras’s approval rating has risen to 60 percent, up more than 10 points in the last year.