The city of Louisville announced Aug. 8 that residents in two metro council districts will have the opportunity to decide how a portion of the city’s budget is spent in their neighborhoods thanks to a new “participatory budgeting initiative.”
The initiative is entitled “Our Money, Our Voice,” and it’s sponsored by the Metro Department of Public Health and Wellness’ Center for Health Equity, district six councilman David James and district eight councilman Brandon Coan, according to a press release from the city.
The project will start with a steering committee — composed of representatives from districts six and eight — who will work with residents to develop ideas and create proposals for projects to benefit the neighborhoods, said the release. The residents will then vote on how the money, a total of $150,000, will be distributed among projects.
“Our Money, Our Voice is a pilot project — a new way for citizens to engage with government and decide how tax dollars are spent,” said Coan. “It’s giving people real power over real money to make the decisions that affect their lives.”
James said, “Who knows best about the needs of the community than the people who live here? Nobody can make better decisions about what a neighborhood needs than the residents of that neighborhood.”
To learn more about “Our Money, Our Voice,” visit www.ourmoneyourvoice.org.
