Politics & Government
Asbury Park Residents: Choose How Part Of 2022 Budget Is Spent
Residents as young as 14 can apply to sit on a new committee, which will accept projects to be included in next year's budget.
ASBURY PARK, NJ - Do you have a great idea to make Asbury Park a better place? The city’s new participatory budgeting committee is looking for volunteers.
The newly-established City of Asbury Park’s Participatory Budget Committee (PBC) is collecting proposals to involve community members, including local youth, in deciding how a designated portion of the City of Asbury Park budget is spent, the mayor and city council announced in an Oct. 28 Facebook post. Applications are due Dec. 1 and residents as young as 14 are encouraged to apply.
The committee is set to consist of nine residents along with a member of city council and staff. The committee, along with city staff, will work with individuals to determine feasibility, establish a budget and outline a proposal for the project.
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Residents will be invited to a public meeting where all projects will be presented to be voted on by the community. Projects that receive the most votes will be adopted into the city’s budget.
“The program, which will begin in 2022, aims to promote equity and empowerment and increase civic engagement. Residents will develop and recommend projects to benefit the entire community as part of the annual budget,” the city said in a statement.
Find out what's happening in Asbury Parkfor free with the latest updates from Patch.
Freehold Borough was the first municipality in the Garden State to utilize participatory budgeting. It’s also practiced in areas like West Orange and Neptune City.
“Bringing Participatory Budgeting to Asbury Park is an incredible opportunity for our community,” said councilperson Eileen Chapman. “This process will give all of our residents, including our youth who aren’t traditionally able to participate in government, the opportunity to decide together how to spend public money. It allows for every single person who participates to have an impact on decisions that affect their lives.”
To apply to be a member of the City of Asbury Park Participatory Budget Committee, fill out a volunteer application by Dec. 1, 2021. The application can be found here.
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