The City of Victoria wants to hear from residents about how they would spend $60,000 on their community.
The city says it will kick off a participatory budgeting process next year where community members will determine what funds are spent on.
The aim of the pilot project is to involve and empower residents to work together for the greater good, said Mayor Lisa Helps.
“Residents from all corners of the community are empowered to work together in the greatest interest of the greater community. This pilot has been a strategic priority of ours as we seek new ways of involving residents more fully in City decision-making,” said Helps. “We are excited to see how the process unfolds and to support the ideas that flow from it.”
The city will allocate $60,000 for a community project that will “reach all demographics” and not just one specific neighbourhood.
The project or investment can’t cancel or delay projects that are already in the works, and commencement of the project must happen within a year of deciding what to spend the money on.
The city says it wants to involve people who aren’t usually active in the budget process, including youth, seniors, new residents and immigrants.
A participatory budget kick-off event will be held in the foyer of the Atrium Building at 800 Yates St. Thursday, Jan. 12, 2017 from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m.
The event is being facilitated by Partipatorybudgeting.org, a U.S.-based non-profit that has overseen similar processes across North America.
Correction: A previous version of this story reported the kick-off event would be held this Thursday. It will actually be held Thursday, Jan. 12, 2017.
