(WSB photo)
We photographed Danitra Hunter, Telitha Floyd, and Fundisha Tibebe at the West Seattle Food Bank this afternoon, at the first People’s Budget Voting Pop-Up in our area since Participatory Budgeting (PB) moved to the voting stage. Danitra – a West Seattle artist/writer we’ve introduced you to before – is a Community Engagement Partner in the PB process, which has been slowly unfolding since the “racial reckoning” of 2020. The city budget allocated $27 million for community members to decide how to spend, and that long process is culminating now, with voting, Here’s the announcement from the city Office of Civil Rights:
As the historic Participatory Budgeting process comes to a close, the Seattle Office for Civil Rights (SOCR) and third-party administrators Participatory Budgeting Project (PBP) acknowledge and appreciate all the work the broader Seattle community has graciously offered to arrive at this point. This includes community members and groups that advocated for this major City investment in truly safe, healthy, and thriving community-driven solutions equaling $27.25 million. The PB process has been designed and led by communities that are often not included in critical decisions impacting their lives. SOCR and PBP thank them for their time and engagement.
To ensure that the PB process was genuinely community-driven, it moved at the pace of community. Intentional vetting and feasibility assessments of community-developed proposals were prioritized, leading to delays in the timeline. SOCR is grateful to the community for their patience and continued diligence during one of the largest participatory budgeting programs in the United States.
SOCR and PBP look forward to hearing from community members as they vote for their preferred proposals from (now) to November 12th. In mid-November, PBP will announce the winning proposals, and in January 2024, the Seattle City Council will put forward standalone legislation appropriating the $27.25 million to the City departments implementing the proposals.
Seattle community members can visit PBSeattle.org link to vote and keep updated on PB events. Any person age 15 or above who lives, works, or plays in Seattle is eligible to vote.
You can also vote on paper ballots, in person, at pop-ups including the one that Danitra is leading right now at the food bank (35th/Morgan) until 7 tonight. She is planning another pop-up tomorrow (Thursday, October 12th) at the West Seattle YMCA (WSB sponsor), 36th/Snoqualmie, 4-8 pm. Remember, the voting age for this is 15 and up, so bring your teen(s)! Danitra says she particularly wants to engage student voters and will be working to do that at local schools as well as at pop-up events.
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