Thinking on paper
KINGSTON – Two dozen participants attended the first community budget forum at City Hall Monday night, to help decide how to spend $45,000 in surplus parking enforcement money. It was the first of three events scheduled across town.
Officials plan to divide the windfall into three equal parts for each business district – $15,000 for Uptown, Downtown, and Midtown.
Stakeholders may suggest possible uses for the money, at one of the three forums, or by submitting a proposal online or at City Hall.
Mayor Steven Noble explained the experimental pilot in participatory budgeting process to the audience – a handful of regulars, and over a dozen school kids who came as a group.
“Participatory is really a long word,” Noble said. “Our goal tonight is to take ideas that you may have, for the community here in Midtown, and take this $15,000 that we have set aside, and spend it to improve the community.”
Later, the various proposals will be compiled and voted through a city-run poll. “The project that gets the most votes in each neighborhood, will be the project that we fund and implement,” Noble added.
Among the suggestions for Midtown Monday night, were benches for bus
stops, fixing sinkholes, playground equipment, public restrooms, sidewalks,
scholarships, and televising city council meetings. Each of these will
eventually be put to a community vote.
The second forum takes place uptown Tuesday August 14, 5:30 p.m., at
the LGBTQ Community Center. The final forum happens Downtown two weeks
later, Tuesday, August 28, 5:30 p.m., at Hudson River Maritime Museum,
More info: www.kingston-ny.gov/ParticipatoryBudgeting
