KINGSTON – The results the about 600 people surveyed in the City of Kingston, as part of the Participatory Budgeting Project, were announced Tuesday evening and all are aimed in one form or another, at providing services for youth.
The survey, started last year, gives the public from the three main city areas – Uptown, Midtown and Downtown – the opportunity to select where the revenues from metered parking will be allocated. This year’s survey accounted for a total of $60,000.
Uptown Kingston voted to use $4,500 to fund the People’s Place, a project that will provide free breakfast and lunch to students when school is closed, as well as $15,500 for tree pruning and planting.
Midtown’s majority decided to use $20,000 to fund youth development and community design projects at the Pine Street African Burial Ground.
Downtown monies will be submitted to the Office of Community Development to be used for the development of youth programs, community events and wellness centers.
Mayor Steven Noble was impressed with the community’s diverse set of priorities, all of which he thinks are worthwhile.
“Our community has such a cross section: everything from funding youth programs Downtown, to trees and hunger Uptown, to our African burial ground in Midtown, it just shows that our community really cares,” said Noble. “These were, I think, really good projects that were really focused on building community and I thought that was really nice.”
The community input continued Tuesday evening with the commencement of the 2020 community budget forum, where residents had the opportunity to speak with department heads, as well as one another, about their priorities for the funding of various city services.
Noble will present the proposed 2020 city budget in mid-October; but, until then, residents who did not attend the forum can send their input to info@kingston-ny.gov.
