A new pilot project has the City of Victoria asking its residents what they would like to spend $60,000 on for the community.
Mayor Lisa Helps says the “participatory budgeting” is an idea that came from other North American cities where municipalities allocate a certain amount of money for residents to purpose and vote on what to do.
“This is an opportunity for people to actually make a decision,” said Helps. “To roll up their sleeves and come together with other citizens and decide on a project or projects that the city will implement.”
Helps stressed this was a small amount of money budgeted as the idea is not to make the decision too tough for the citizens.
“In other cities it has been used for new playgrounds or new cross walks, things that improve the quality of life in the city."
The first meeting for the participatory budget goes on January 12 in the Foyer of the Atrium Building at 800 Yates Street.
A non-profit organization called Participatorybudgeting.org out of New York will be facilitating the meeting with actually falls on a City council meeting night.