TOMORROW: Your chance to vote on how to spend $3.6 million public dollars

The county’s been talking for a while about “participatory budgeting” – you decide how to spend public dollars – and now it’s time to vote, including an in-person event in White Center tomorrow. Here’s the announcement:

In a first for King County, residents of five urban unincorporated areas can vote on which proposed community projects should receive public funding Aug. 2-10. Residents can cast their votes online or in person at one of several community events.

It’s time to vote! Five urban unincorporated communities will get the chance to decide which proposed community projects will happen as part of King County’s first Participatory Budgeting process.

From Aug. 2-10, anyone who lives, works, owns a business, receives services, goes to school, or worships in the following unincorporated areas can cast their vote to fund projects in their community — projects that were proposed and developed by community members.

East Federal Way
East Renton
Fairwood
North Highline/White Center
Skyway/West Hill

Community members will be able to vote online or at one of several in-person community events.

HOW TO VOTE

Votes may be cast in one of two ways:

Online (publicinput.com/yourvoiceyourchoice)

At an in-person event (see schedule below)

Tuesday, Aug. 2
White Center: 6-8 p.m., Greenbridge (near Dubsea Coffee)

More on participatory budgeting 

In 2021, the King County Council approved Executive Constantine’s new approach to community investment – one that’s centered on racial equity. It gives people who live, work, play, or worship in the county’s five urban unincorporated areas the chance to directly choose how more than $11 million is spent in their communities.

Participatory budgeting allows communities to identify, discuss, and prioritize public spending. Residents help decide how to spend money on capital projects (physical things that are bought, built, installed, or fixed up) or programs and services.

The Community Investment Budget Committee, a group of appointed residents from King County’s urban unincorporated areas, met virtually to create the framework for the new participatory budgeting process.

Where does the money come from? The funds for the capital projects are backed by bonds. The funds for programs and services in North Highline/White Center and Skyway-West Hill come from King County’s general fund and are supported by marijuana retail sales tax revenue. 

Learn more: publicinput.com/yourvoiceyourchoice

In North Highline, your vote involves what to do with $3.6 million – and how to split it among some or all of these projects:

Final Project List – Capital Improvement Projects:

White Center Food Bank – New location renovation fund
White Center Community HUB – Construction fund
Acts on Stage – Building Renovation fund
Acts on Stage – 250-Seat Public Performing Arts Theater
Khmer Community Temple – Sidewalks
Spray Park/Cooling Center “Cool me down – White Center”
Community Garden/P-Patch – “Food in my backyard” – Grant fund
Final Project List – Marijuana Tax Revenue Funds (Programs/Services) Projects:

Acts on Stage – FREE After School/Summer youth programming
Green Education – New Start High School
Youth Drop-In Center @ Log Cabin
Voter Education Bond Levy
Wolverine Select Youth Basketball – Funding
Nepantla Cultural Art – Capacity/Community Building
White Center Heights Elementary School – Family Resource Center
Documentary Film “Gentrification in White Center”
Gift of Hope – Capacity/Community Building support
Salvation Army – Workshops
Gameshape – FREE Youth program
Mental Health / Grief Support
Parent Education / Advocacy Support


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One Response to “TOMORROW: Your chance to vote on how to spend $3.6 million public dollars”

  1. Madison F. Says:

    I think we should give the money to the documentary filmmaker who wants to tell us how bad it is that people purchase property they can afford in a neighborhood they want to live in and fix it up to make the community better.