[Durham INC] Durham Seeks Resident Votes on Participatory Budgeting Projects

[PublicAffairs]

[Title: City of Durham Office of Public Affairs logo]

News Media Contact
Amy Blalock, Public Affairs Manager
919.560.4123 x11253 | 919.475.7735 (mobile)
Amy.Blalock at DurhamNC.gov


News Release
For Immediate Release: May 1, 2019

Durham Seeks Resident Votes on Participatory Budgeting Projects
Online & In-Person Voting Available May 1-31

DURHAM, N.C. - Public art. Bus shelters with solar panels. Wi-Fi hotspot picnic tables. Sidewalks. Pedestrian crossings. Now is your chance to voice your priorities and vote in the first-ever participatory budgeting<https://www.pbdurham.org/> process for projects that will soon impact your neighborhood.

More than 500 ideas have been narrowed down to 40 projects and the City of Durham is asking residents to vote this month to help select the winning projects to be implemented over the next three fiscal years.

Participatory Budgeting, also known as PB Durham, is a democratic process that allows residents to directly decide how to spend $2.4 million dollars for one-time projects in each of the three City Council wards. Since its initial launch in November 2018, PB Durham has engaged over 4,000 residents and students in this first-year process<https://www.pbdurham.org/pb_durham_timeline>. Over 500 ideas were initially submitted during the idea collection phase in fall 2018, with the second phase of proposal development taking place from January to April 2019. During this second phase, over 100 students and residents from the community reviewed, vetted, analyzed, and developed over 40 project proposals using data, community research, and support from technical experts. Now, the voting phase is underway seeking resident input on which of the top 40 projects should move to the final implementation phase.



"Voting your community priorities is a way to participate in spending the public budget and increasing your role in local government decision making," said Budget Engagement Coordinator Robin Baker. "Help spend $2.4 million dollars by voting on projects that will impact your community directly."

Residents are encouraged to vote in one-of-three ways until May 31:


*        Vote at PB Stanford<https://www.pbdurham.org/> - residents and students can vote online to help determine which projects will move forward in Wards 1, 2, and 3 using the PB Stanford Online Voting Platform. Online voting ballots are available in English and Spanish to help select the top projects in each ward.

o   Ward 1 Projects<https://d3n8a8pro7vhmx.cloudfront.net/durhamnis/pages/725/attachments/original/1556302932/Ward_1_Ballot_%285%29.pdf?1556302932>

o   Ward 2 Projects<https://d3n8a8pro7vhmx.cloudfront.net/durhamnis/pages/725/attachments/original/1556302959/Ward_2_%283%29.pdf?1556302959>

o   Ward 3 Projects<https://d3n8a8pro7vhmx.cloudfront.net/durhamnis/pages/725/attachments/original/1556302933/Ward_3_%281%29.pdf?1556302933>


*        Vote at PB Durham Voting Sites - in-person voting sites will be held throughout the city in partnership with project stakeholders such as Durham Public Schools, Durham Housing Authority, and North Carolina Central University. Printed paper ballots in English and Spanish will be available at each site.


*        Vote at PB Durham Pop-up Voting Sites - Pop-up sites will also be located throughout the city in order to meet residents in their communities and encourage in-person voting. Grocery stores, banks, shopping centers, and coffee shops are examples of pop-up sites available this month. Printed paper ballots in English and Spanish will also be available at each pop-up site.

For more information, visit the PB Durham website<http://www.pbdurham.org> or contact Robin Baker at pbdurham at durhamnc.gov<mailto:pbdurham at durhamnc.gov> or (984) 227-3395. Residents may also follow PB Durham on Facebook<https://www.facebook.com/pbdurhamnc/>, Twitter<https://twitter.com/PBDurhamNC>, and Instagram<https://www.instagram.com/pbdurhamnc/> for real-time updates throughout this process.

About the Budget and Management Services Department
The City of Durham Budget and Management Services Department<https://durhamnc.gov/199/Budget-Management-Services> is responsible for the development and oversight of the City's annual budget and Capital Improvement Program (CIP). The department is also responsible for performance management, continuous improvement, and strategic planning. A division of the department, the Office of Performance and Innovation<https://durhamnc.gov/232/Office-of-Performance-and-Innovation>, serves as internal consultants, helping City departments accomplish Durham's "One Vision and Five Goals" through advancing the City's Strategic Plan<https://durhamnc.gov/183/Strategic-Plan>; providing framework for data-driven decisions; fostering a culture of innovation; and facilitating process improvements.

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[Title: City of Durham Office of Public Affairs Contact Info]



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