Participatory budgeting funds for Rondout Youth Program announced

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KINGSTON, NY – Mayor Steven Noble and the Office of Economic and Community Development, Wednesday, announced the Participatory Budgeting Fund awards for youth programming in the Rondout area of the City of Kingston.

The Common Council has approved the allocations:

  • Carin Jean White & ASK – Kingston Student Theatre Enrichment Program: $ 4,800
  • Center for Creative Education – CCEs Arts Outreach Program: $ 2,550
  • Holly Christiana – Poetry with Read and Write: $ 1,000
  • The Library at AJ Williams-Myers – Youth Programming: $ 2,000
  • Reher Center for Immigrants – Rondout Rising: $ 3,500
  • YMCA of Ulster County – Bike Safety Program: $ 1,150

In January, Noble announced the projects selected by each business district community allocating funds from the first Participatory Budgeting Project. The Rondout district voted to allot its $15,000 for youth programming, and the city took applications from groups and organizations for new or expanded youth programming/events.

Applications were considered by the Community Development Advisory Board, which selected projects and gave their recommendations to the common council, Tuesday evening. The county is expected to approve the recommended projects in July.

“It has been exciting to see the first Participatory Budgeting funds set into motion to benefit the community. The Rondout district’s funding will soon be instituting some wonderful programs for youth in that area,” said Noble. “The benefits of Participatory Budgeting go directly into these neighborhoods, as we’ve already seen with the beautification efforts of the BARK program youth participants, who have painted the flower boxes in Uptown and have led numerous clean-ups in Midtown.”

Participatory Budgeting is a process in which community members directly decide how to spend part of a public budget. For the pilot project, $15,000 was set aside for improvements or projects in each business district (Uptown, Midtown and Downtown), for a total investment of $45,000. These funds were generated by revenue received from off-street parking fees.

The mayor has set aside $20,000 for each district in the 2019 adopted budget towards another round of Participatory Budgeting.




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