Voting is live for Richmond's first-ever "people's budget"
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Illustration: Brendan Lynch/Axios
Voting started this week for Richmond's first-ever "people's budget."
Why it matters: This is locals' chance to weigh in at the neighborhood level on how the city should spend $3 million in taxpayer money.
The big picture: Last year, the city launched its first participatory budgeting plan, dubbed "the people's budget," which gives a portion of city money to residents to decide (via community input) what to do with it.
- The program's delegates gathered ideas (nearly 2,000 in all) for months, whittled them down to a handful for each city voting district, and now have turned the final list of possible projects back to the people to vote on.
Zoom in: Crosswalks, sidewalks, bus stops and public safety ideas dominate the final ballot, as they did during the ideas phase.
- The final projects are broken down by each of the city's nine voting districts, with nine projects in every district except for the 4th, which has six, per an Axios review.
Worth noting: The $3 million isn't carved up equally among districts. The city allocated more money for "socially vulnerable" districts using an equity index, WTVR reports.
- That means the 6th (which straddles the river and runs through downtown), 8th and 9th (South Richmond) each theoretically get $500,000.
- The 3rd (Northside), 5th (also straddles the river and includes Byrd Park, Carytown and parts of South Richmond) and 7th (East End) each get $300,000.
- And the 1st (Near West End and Museum District), 2nd (The Fan through Jackson Ward) and 4th (South Richmond, including Forest Hill and Stratford Hills) each get $200,000.
Yes, but: The districts and projects could get nothing because Mayor Danny Avula's proposed $3 billion budget doesn't include any direct funding for the people's budget, he said last week.
- Still, Avula said he's "committed to the concept" and hopes to fund some of the Public Works projects suggested by residents.
How it works: Locals ages 14 or older can vote online or in person through midnight on April 15.
- Voting is open to anyone who lives, works or plays in the city.
- The people's budget uses ranked-choice voting, so locals rank their top three choices.
What's next: Winning projects are slated to be funded in July, per the people's budget website.
- We should find out soon after if there's any money available to make them happen.