Unveiling the Participatory Budgeting Ballot

Which projects will get your vote? The 2013 Participatory Budgeting ballot is here, with great projects that will invest in building a better neighborhood for us to share.

And next week, we will be kicking off the Participatory Budgeting Vote, with early voting Tuesday through Thursday and voting locations in your neighborhood on Saturday and Sunday (April 6th and 7th). The projects that get the most votes will be funded in this year’s City budget.

Over 1,000 of your neighbors have already said they will be there. Will you be one of them? Pledge to vote in Participatory Budgeting.

There are 24 projects on the ballot – read about all of them here – covering many of the needs of this community. It includes improvements for district schools, upgrades to our parks, new community spaces, and projects to green our environment and make it easier and safer to get around the district.

On the website you can also watch video interviews with the neighbors who developed the proposals. I have been so impressed by the work that these community members have done to find the best ideas and develop them into really strong projects.

Participatory Budgeting is setting a new model for inclusive, democratic decision-making. Any resident of the district, 16 years of age or older, can vote. I have heard from many in our community that this is their first time voting for anything in our country.

And as we saw last year, when we include more people in the decision-making process and give them real control over decisions that impact their lives, they make good decisions. And the ownership they feel over the projects is often more important than the brick and mortar itself.

To relive some of the excitement from last year – or see what you missed – check out our new video, “Get Out and Vote!”

Hope to see you next week at the vote.