Wednesday, May 24, 2023 | View in browse
Participatory Budgeting Updates
 Register for the Participatory Budgeting Election!
Registration for the Participatory Budgeting Election in September is now open! Community members should register to vote online in advance. When the voting portal opens, those who have registered will receive an individualized code that will allow them to vote online. Register to vote here! If you are not sure if you're registered, please fill out the form.
Anyone with a “meaningful connection” to Evanston who is 14 years of age or older can vote. A “meaningful connection” refers to those who live, work, study or own a business in Evanston.
Those who do not register in advance can still register throughout the month of September and vote at in-person voting events, which will be announced at a later date.
 Budget Delegate Meeting Update
Participatory Budgeting is currently in the proposal development phase. On May 20, we held our fourth budget delegate meeting. At the meeting, community members recapped meetings they had with City staff regarding their proposals, narrowed their proposals down, and planned their research as they continue to develop proposals. Each of the committees will develop one to two proposals for the ballot that will be voted on in September.
Proposals will go through two more rounds of vetting with City staff. View proposals that made it to vetting 1. The deadline for the next round of vetting is Mon., June 5. In this vetting round, each committee will be asked to submit two proposals to ensure there is time to refine them. At the end of the process, committees can submit up to two proposals for the final ballot.
 Leadership Committee Meeting
The Participatory Budgeting Leadership Committee meets on the third Wednesday of each month to talk about Participatory Budgeting. View the agenda and minutes from these meetings. Last month, the Committee discussed a statement explaining why proposals didn't move forward through the process, agreeing that it is important to continue being transparent about how the process works. The Committee also discussed future outreach efforts, which include canvassing at upcoming events. If you have an event you think would be good for canvasing or would like to volunteer and spread the word, please reach out by emailing participatorybudgeting@cityofevanston.org.
Meet Our Wonderful Featured PB Volunteers!
Alexa Stone
Alexa Stone learned about Participatory Budgeting (PB) from her mother, who is an active community member that participates in numerous activities throughout Evanston.
She attended the Youth & Young Adult Idea Collection at Fleetwood-Jourdain on January 30, where she was able to share her ideas and give input. Alexa and other students expressed their excitement about how they were able to become engaged, regardless of their age, and decide how the City should spend the $3 million. Alexa also attended the African & Caribbean Immigrant Demographic Affinity Idea Collection event, held at Robert Crown on January 28. That event created a safe space for individuals and families from many African and Caribbean countries to share their ideas.
As a result of her engagement in the idea-collection phase, Alexa became a Budget Delegate, which she has learned “is a long detailed process, with Idea Committees that are doing a lot of research and work to create proposals.” When asked why she decided to become a Budget Delegate, Alexa stated, “I am a Budget Delegate because I wanted to try something new, to learn more, and to challenge myself. As a teenager, it is a good experience to participate in something that I can add to applications when applying to colleges”.
Alexa is in the 8th grade at Nichols Middle School and will be attending ETHS in the fall. When she is not volunteering as a Budget Delegate, she enjoys playing volleyball or dancing. She also likes spending time with her family. Her favorite subjects in school are math and science.
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PB Evanston In the News
Have a great week!
Sincerely,
The City of Evanston Participatory Budgeting Team
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