On February 4, 2026, we shared a social media post critical of Mayor Brett Smiley and Providence for not holding businesses that don’t shovel their sidewalks of snow accountable. During his 2022 mayoral campaign, Smiley criticized this issue and highlighted that it shouldn’t take days to clear snow off the streets. His opponent, David Morales, who is running against him in the 2026 mayoral election, has released an extensive plan and condemned the handling of the situation, as well as certain individuals appointed by the administration, for being inadequate to run these operations.
Questions still remain: Will the mayor be held accountable? What of businesses and residents who don’t clear their sidewalks?
Our post can be found here.
* This post summarizes discussions and reporting shared on social media.