Virginia’s state capital is experimenting with giving residents a say in how $3 million is spent on construction projects that improve their neighborhoods.
Over the first two weeks of April, Richmond residents, as well as people who work in the city or study at area universities, have the chance to cast votes ranking the top three projects in their parts of the city. The candidates for funding include a wide variety of projects such as better crosswalks, tree plantings and murals on the side of community centers.
The Richmond City Council agreed last year to set aside the funding for what they described as an exercise in participatory budgeting. Rather than elected officials determining for themselves which neighborhood projects they think will benefit their constituents the most, they set up a process for residents and others aged 14 and up to decide directly. The city calls the $3 million “the people’s budget.”
The city collected ideas from the public last fall and then organized them into categories, including public mobility, environment, equity, parks and recreation, arts and culture, and health and wellness. More than 1,500 people offered nearly 2,000 project ideas. Three delegates chosen from each of the nine city council districts then met weekly over two months to develop some of these ideas before they were listed on ballots for this month’s vote. City staff also went over the list of ideas to determine what each project would cost.
The delegates' task "was to review and refine the ideas submitted by their neighbors, ensuring they align with the needs and priorities of their districts," according to the Richmond People's Budget website.
Each district ballot includes 10 to 15 projects, with the estimated cost of each listed. Certain districts have been allocated more funding than others to address historical disparities; for example, District 1, which includes the wealthier West End, will get $200,000, while District 6, which includes parts of the lower-income Southside, will have $500,000 to divide among projects. As an example of the types of project options, among the ballot proposals for District 6 is to spend $50,000 to add handicapped-accessible paths, benches and new trees at Alice Fitz Park in the Manchester neighborhood.
The city will start to fund the projects that garner the most votes in each district once the new budget year starts in July.
Richmond Mayor Danny Avula said in a March 27 statement that he has not included funding to continue the people’s budget in his draft spending plan for the next budget year, though the $3 million allocation for this year is secure.
“While this budget does not include direct funding for our participatory budgeting process, we are committed to the concept, and to identifying dollars … to support several of the built environment projects that are expected to come out of the process,” he said.
