Our participatory budgeting process asked residents two questions:
- What percentage of our total menu funding should to go street repairs, and
- Which projects residents would like to see funded with the remaining money.
As a result of the vote, 50 percent of menu funding–a total of about $500,000–will go towards street and alley repaving. The Department of Transportation makes the ultimate determination of which streets are priorities. (NB: Currently, aldermanic menu funds are the only funds available for street/alley resurfacing. The Inspector General thinks this should change, and so we do– read more about that here). The remaining funding will be allocated to the highest vote-getters: the Horner Park dog park, an effigy mound in Horner Park (the first installed by an Indigenous artist in North America since the founding of the United States), bike lanes on Kimball Avenue, and improvements to the community garden on Drake Avenue.
Since the costs of some of these projects reflect estimates given to us by the Department of Transportation –rather than the final price tag– we will proceed with funding the below projects, then determine how to spend the remainder of the budget given the priorities identified in the PB process.
Remember, participatory budgeting happens every year! If you have an idea for an infrastructure improvement in our ward that didn’t make it onto the ballot this year, please consider getting involved in our 2021 PB cycle, which will start in the spring.