Metro Government has pledged $2 million to invest in local ideas – your ideas to build a stronger community and create a more equitable distribution of public resources.
Interested community members have many options to get involved with this project. Leadership roles on the Steering Committee and Budget Delegates are for those who want to actively engage with this project. All community members are welcome to attend and submit ideas at brainstorming events. Any resident over the age of 14 can vote on the proposals. By providing many different avenues for involvement, participatory budgeting will reach more residents and leave a lasting impact.
The process varies from community to community. However, these five steps apply to every participatory budgeting process:
- Design the Process (Summer 2021): A steering committee, led by community leaders, comes together to decide how the process will be run.
- Brainstorm Ideas (July 2021-October 2021): Community members share their ideas for projects that their area needs through neighborhood meetings and public events.
- Develop Proposals (October 2021-December 2021): Volunteer Budget Delegates take the community’s ideas and work with city staff to determine price, develop concrete proposals, and narrow down the list of finalists.
- Cast a Vote (December 2021): Residents vote on which projects they want to see funded in their community.
- Fund Winning Projects (January 2022- ): The city implements winning projects and track their completion.
Successful project proposals will fit the following criteria:
- Take place in the North Nashville and Bordeaux region
- Limited to capital infrastructure or capital improvements
- Have their main purpose be for the public at-large
- Provide a tangible, permanent benefit
- Accomplish their goals with the use of initial, one-time funding
For more information, please email [email protected].