If you don’t know what participatory budgeting means, you should, because it’s your tax dollars at work in a democratic way. Below is a primer of what participatory budgeting is and our recommendations towards the bottom.
Participatory budgeting is a democratic process in which community members directly decide how to spend part of a public budget. PB gives ordinary people real decision-making power over real money.
At the ward level, participatory budgeting concerns the “menu money”, or the amount of money annually allocated to each ward for discretionary improvements. Many alderman choose to use their own discretion in assigning projects but in the 45th Ward, our alderman uses to participatory budgeting process to give residents a say choosing projects. The menu money available for participatory budgeting is around $1 million every year. A certain percentage of this (which you can vote on) is dedicated to street resurfacing.
Current participatory budgeting projects proposed in the 45th Ward include the following:
- Improved viaduct lighting on Milwaukee under the Union Pacific Northwest Line ($30,000)
- New sidewalk and curbs along the south side of Jefferson Memorial Park and two benches near the field house
- 150, 300, or 450 trees, with 15 each at Farnsworth School, Independence Park, Robert Square Park, and on Milwaukee north of Foster ($540 per tree)
- 14 decorative trash cans in 9 locations ($32,000)
- Bike lanes on Austin from Elston to Northwest Highway ($60,000)
- Repave Avondale between Lawrence and Ainslie, adding a sidewalk and streetlights ($335,000)
- Ornamental lighting on Lawrence between Avondale and Milwaukee ($390,000)
- Curbs and sidewalks in various locations ($200,000)
- Austin Avenue Bridge Improvements ($70,000)
- New crosswalks on Milwaukee at Windsor, Wilson, and Leland ($80,000)
- Pedestrian refuge island on Lawrence and Lavergne ($60,000)
- Pedestrian bump outs on Bryn Mawr at Austin ($150,000)
JPF has been well represented in the participatory budgeting process, which involves the slating of projects, through two members of our Community Development Committee, Kate Wertime and Pete Czosnyka. The Community Development Committee has spent its meetings actively reviewing and evaluating this year’s slate of participatory budgeting projects and has come up with the following recommendations. We believe that by voting as a block, we have a better chance of getting our projects through:
- New sidewalk and curbs along the south side of Jefferson Memorial Park and two benches near the field house
- 150, 300, or 450 trees, with 15 each at Farnsworth School, Independence Park, Robert Square Park, and on Milwaukee north of Foster ($540 per tree)
- 14 decorative trash cans in 9 locations ($32,000)
- Bike lanes on Austin from Elston to Northwest Highway ($60,000)
See a copy of the sample participatory budgeting ballot here. Any resident of the 45th ward age 14 or older is eligible to vote. Voting will be held from:
Monday, May 2nd – Thursday, May 5th, 9:00 AM – 6:00 PM
Friday, May 6th, 9:00 AM -4:00 PM
Alderman Arena’s Office
4754 N. Milwaukee
Saturday, May 7th: 9:30 AM – 1:30 PM
Wilson Park Field House
4630 N. Milwaukee