CITY COUNCIL TO CONSIDER PARTICIPATORY BUDGETING
BUDGET ALLOCATION
At the upcoming Regular City Council Meeting scheduled for tomorrow, June 23, at 7:00 p.m. via teleconference; the City Council will consider the Participatory Budgeting (PB) budget allocation during the Fiscal Year 2020/2021 Budget Adoption item.
As a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, the City of Vallejo is facing a $13 million shortfall in its annual budget. The City of Vallejo’s Finance Department completed and delivered the City’s proposed budget for the upcoming Fiscal Year (FY), and while the proposed budget does not eliminate the PB program, it calls for a reduction from the traditional $1 million allocation to $500,000 for FY 20/21. The FY 20/21 Proposed Budget, including the City Managers Letter of Recommendation, can be accessed here.
We recognize that the City Council has been extremely supportive of funding our vast array of community programs, particularly in the areas of arts & culture, as well as youth programs, and that as a City, we are proud of the community engagement reflected in the PB process. For this next fiscal year, it is recommended that the PB program be modified to focus more so on concentrating the available funding on a reduced number of projects, particularly focusing on those priority areas of youth and arts & culture projects. Additionally, this next fiscal year, it will be necessary for staff to focus efforts toward modifying this program, which historically has been heavily dependent on in-person community engagement, in order to adapt to our “new normal.” Due to COVID-19, PB Cycle 7 is temporarily on hold, as public meetings and the public participation process is currently impacted.
City Council meetings are accessible to the public online by visiting the City’s Agendas and Videos page. Virtual public comment links open at 5:00 p.m. – to access the link for public commenting, find the agenda item you wish to comment on and select that link to submit your comment. To view a video demonstration on how to make a virtual public comment, please click here.
In addition to live streaming online via the City website, City Council meetings may also be viewed live on Vallejo’s local channel 28, as well as via Zoom webinar, by clicking here.
For questions and/or additional information, please visit pbvallejo.org, or contact PB program staff via email at pbvallejo@cityofvallejo.net or via phone at (707) 648-4041.
