Cole McMullin, an active member of Raleigh Democratic Socialists of America spoke to City Council on September 10, 2024:
In the Fall of last year, the city of Raleigh began its budget listening sessions in which residents could attend and share thoughts on what should be budget priorities for the upcoming fiscal year.
In addition, there was a participatory budgeting initiative in which residents could provide feedback on which of 5 projects in their district should be prioritized.
Usually I’m up here complaining about things the city does. I want to be clear that I think last year’s budget engagement was an overall positive experience, but I still think it could be better.
Specifically, I think the use of an online calculator tool in which residents can allocate dollars to different priorities in the general budget (such as Housing and Neighborhoods, Public Safety, Parks, etc.) so that they can demonstrate the balance that most accurately reflects their values. The city used a similar online calculator tool to engage residents for feedback regarding how ARPA funds should be allocated.
Further, I think it would be fantastic if this online calculator was extremely granular, such that a resident could potentially use the money allocated for vacant police officer positions and put it towards an alternative response unit, or more firefighter positions, just to list a couple of examples.
Doing so would not only increase transparency about where public dollars are allocated but would also be a more detailed and accurate sample of how residents want their dollars spent.
On another note, if I recall correctly, the FY 23-24 budget included money for an e-bike rebate program as well as a composting pilot program. I’m not aware of there being a report about the results of either of these programs, but I may have missed it, and I was just wondering if there was any information available regarding the outcomes of these programs. Any follow-up that can be provided would be appreciated.
Thank you!
NOTE – you can review our 2024 polling results that show only 1 in 4 voters believe the city’s budget reflects their priorities here: Voter Confidence in City Council Falls
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