Advocates will continue to push for participatory budgeting in Cleveland after city council shoots down legislation for $5 million pilot program
Advocates say they will continue the push to bring participatory budgeting to Cleveland after city council this week tabled legislation for a $5 million pilot program sponsored by Mayor Justin Bibb, asserting that the ordinance was an attack on their authority and would have un-Democratic effects.
“Through this process we aim to expand democracy, participation, equity and transparency in local government,” said Erika Anthony, co-founder and executive director of Cleveland Votes. “The goal of implementation is to ensure marginalized residents, particularly youth 14 and up, have an opportunity to create an on-ramp into democracy by participating in new civic infrastructure.
Aside from what projects the $5 million might have gone toward, sponsors of the legislation and advocates insist participatory budgeting is a tool with additional value in building civic engagement. Afound that 70% of Ohioans surveyed supported participatory budgeting. In urban areas that number climbs to 76%. Proponents say bringing residents in as stakeholders in participatory budgeting encourages voter turnout and builds trust between governments and communities.
"I'm actually very, very concerned that this is going to have an anti-democratic effect on our city," said Harsh, who noted he originally liked the participatory budgeting proposal."We cannot send a message that the government doesn't work and try to get more people in government. Those two messages are not going to work."
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