PROVIDENCE – Mayor David N. Cicilline today announced that City Solicitor Joseph M. Fernandez is stepping down after seven years of strong leadership as the City’s chief lawyer.  The Mayor credited Fernandez with “laying a solid legal foundation for the Administration’s ongoing efforts to improve Providence City government.”

Fernandez joined the Cicilline Administration at the beginning of the Mayor’s first term and quickly assembled a talented and professional legal team to assist the Mayor with his ambitious reform agenda.  One of Fernandez’s early accomplishments was developing a successful legal strategy in pension revocation cases to ensure that those former City employees who betrayed the public’s trust were held accountable.  He also helped draft and negotiate complex agreements to help fuel the city’s economy, including the contract that resulted in GTECH’s relocation of its world headquarters to downtown Providence. 

Fernandez will step down as City Solicitor later this month to explore other opportunities while assisting the Mayor in the transition to new leadership in the Law Department.

“Joe Fernandez’s strong leadership and management skills, integrity and sharp legal mind have made him an invaluable and trusted member of my team,” said Mayor Cicilline.  “Whether it’s advocating for the taxpayers in pension revocation proceedings or laying the groundwork for complex legal strategy on a variety of important reform issues, Joe has served the residents of Providence well.  Although I hate to see him go, I know he’ll achieve great success in his future endeavors.”

“I couldn’t be prouder of the legal team I have assembled and their excellent work on behalf of Providence residents over the past seven years,” said Fernandez.  “It has been both an honor and a privilege to serve the Mayor and the residents of Providence, and my tenure as city solicitor has only strengthened my commitment to public service.”

Fernandez, a graduate Brown University and Harvard Law School, led the legal battle to abolish the notorious “tow list” that awarded lucrative tow contracts to companies based on political favoritism.  He also mapped the legal strategy for prosecuting individuals implicated in the Providence Police Department’s promotions test scandal. 

As chief prosecutor for the City, Fernandez oversees the prosecution of over 4500 criminal cases annually brought by the Providence Police Department in state District Court and over 500 juvenile criminal cases annually in state Family Court.  Currently, the Law Department defends the City in over 500 federal and state civil cases, including tort, civil rights, employment, property-tax and debt-collection cases.

When Keyspan sought to expand its LNG facility in the Port of Providence without adequate safety measures, the Law Department, under the leadership of Fernandez, ultimately defeated Keyspan’s expansion plans.  He also helped to enhance public safety at Providence’s nightclubs and bars through stricter enforcement and by assisting the Providence Police in their efforts to prevent underage drinking.

Fernandez’s other accomplishments include negotiating complex, multi-party agreements including an agreement between the Rhode Island Zoological Society and the City of Providence to improve zoo operations and realize savings for taxpayers and overseeing the sale of the Civic Center to the Rhode Island Convention Center Authority.

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