Press Release
Simon Sarkisian Announces Candidacy for City Council Ward 5
For Immediate Release
Contact: Simon Sarkisian@simonfor5.com
Dear Neighbors,
My name is Simon Sarkisian, and I am proud to announce my candidacy for Providence City Council, Ward 5.
Ward 5 is more than where I live—it’s my home. My roots run deep in this neighborhood, and today I have the privilege of caring for my mother here. This community shaped who I am, and I want to ensure it remains a place where families can thrive for generations to come.
I have dedicated my career to public service. I proudly served as a Providence Police Officer, where I worked to protect our neighborhoods and serve our residents with honesty and integrity. After my time in law enforcement, I continued serving the people of Providence as an Administrative Assistant to the late Judge Frank Caprio, whose compassion, fairness, and commitment to justice inspired so many. Those experiences taught me that government works best when it serves people—not politics.
Today, I am running because I believe Ward 5 deserves independent leadership that will stand up for taxpayers and neighborhoods instead of simply going along to get along.
Over the past several years, many residents have told me they are frustrated with rising costs, deteriorating streets, public safety concerns, and a City Hall that too often seems disconnected from the people it serves. Families are working harder than ever, yet they continue to see higher taxes and fewer results.
I believe our city government must become more accountable and transparent. I believe every tax dollar should be spent wisely, and that taxpayers deserve to know exactly how their money is being used. I will carefully scrutinize every budget proposal and oppose unnecessary tax increases that place an additional burden on hardworking families and seniors living on fixed incomes.
I also believe that political favoritism has no place in city government. Public offices should exist to serve the people—not political insiders. I will fight for open, transparent government where appointments, hiring, and contracts are based on qualifications and merit.
As your City Councilman, I will focus on the issues that matter most:
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Improving neighborhood public safety by supporting our police officers while building stronger relationships with the community.
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Repairing our streets, sidewalks, and infrastructure.
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Keeping our neighborhoods clean and well maintained.
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Supporting our schools, parks, and recreation programs so our children have safe places to learn and play.
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Protecting taxpayers by demanding responsible spending and greater accountability at City Hall.
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Helping local businesses grow and bringing new investment to Ward 5.
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Making City Hall more responsive, accessible, and transparent for every resident.
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Ward 5 deserves leadership that listens before it speaks, works before it takes credit, and puts residents ahead of politics.
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This campaign isn’t about political insiders. It’s about our families, our seniors, our small businesses, and every resident who wants a safer, cleaner, stronger neighborhood with the quality of life we all deserve.
I will always be available to you. I will answer your calls, listen to your concerns, and work every day to earn your trust.
Together, we can restore confidence in our city government and build a better future for Ward 5.
I respectfully ask for your vote and your support.
Thank you.
Simon Sarkisian
Candidate for Providence City Council – Ward 5
Facing Providence’s Housing Challenge with Clear Eyes
As I step forward to run for the Fifth Ward City Council seat here in Providence, I’ve spent a lot of time thinking about the real challenges our community faces. Few issues come up more often in conversations with neighbors than the rising cost of housing. It’s a deeply personal concern—one that affects whether families can stay in the neighborhoods they love, whether young people can afford to build a life here, and whether our city remains accessible to everyone who calls it home.
In those conversations, one idea surfaces again and again: rent control. On its face, it feels like a straightforward solution—limit rent increases, and you make housing more affordable. I understand why that resonates. When rents are rising faster than wages, people want immediate relief.
But as I’ve looked more closely at the history of rent control across the country, I’ve come to a more cautious conclusion. Cities like San Francisco and St. Paul have shown that while rent control can help some tenants in the short term, it often creates unintended consequences that make the broader housing situation more difficult over time. In many cases, strict rent caps have discouraged new housing development, reduced the number of available rental units, and ultimately pushed costs higher for those trying to enter the market.
Even long-standing systems, like the one in New York City, reveal a complicated reality. While some residents benefit from stability, the system has also contributed to a divided housing market—where access to affordable units depends more on timing and luck than fairness, and where new renters face some of the highest costs in the country.
These lessons matter for Providence. Our city is growing, and with that growth comes pressure on our housing supply. If we adopt policies that unintentionally discourage new construction or investment, we risk making the problem worse—not better.
That doesn’t mean doing nothing. Far from it. We need to act with urgency, but also with care. I believe we should focus on solutions that expand housing opportunities: encouraging responsible development, cutting unnecessary red tape that delays new construction, supporting first-time homebuyers, and protecting tenants from unfair or sudden displacement.
We can—and must—support renters without shrinking the housing market they depend on.
Running for the Fifth Ward is about making thoughtful, evidence-based decisions that serve both today’s residents and future generations. Housing is too important for easy answers. It demands solutions that are not only compassionate, but that actually work.
That’s the standard I intend to bring to City Hall.
PRESS RELEASE
SIMON SARKISIAN ANNOUNCES CANDIDACY FOR
CITY COUNCIL WARD 5
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Simon Sarkisian, longtime resident of Ward 5, retired Providence Police officer today announces his candidacy for City Council, Ward 5”.
Simon served as a Providence Police officer for over twenty years, and most recently served as a personal assistant to the late Judge Frank Caprio. Simon and his family immigrated to this country from Armenia when he was a young child and knows well the plight of immigrants. He has resided in the city for most of his life.
“What we do politically today will shape our neighborhoods and the city for the next 20 years. I believe that the best way to move Providence forward is with real leadership and to have the conversations that aren’t happening currently” says Sarkisian.
“ I’ve been attending community events, talking with residents, talking with business owners and having conversations with community stakeholders. I hear the same message, real leadership, ethics, 100% honesty and real results”.
Education, public safety, housing issues, providing city services.
Our next leaders of the city must be forward thinking, financially prudent with tax payer money, servicing our constituents, keeping the residents of our city safe and showcasing what makes Providence, Providence”.
Simon invites you to join him at his fundraiser on Wednesday, November 5, 2025 from 5:00 to 8:00 pm at Triggs Memorial Gof Club, Chalkstone Avenue, Providence, RI.