Uptown residents laid out their plans last night on how they’d like
to divvy up the 46th Ward’s $1.3 million “menu money” budget as part of a
new participatory budgeting process some Chicago aldermen are adopting.
Each year, Chicago aldermen receive
city funds and decide how to use the pot of money for infrastructure
needs in their wards, such as improving sidewalks, traffic signals and
streetlights.
The participatory budgeting process allows residents to decide how the money is spent based on a community vote.
Prior
to participatory budgeting, Ald. James Cappleman (46th) said he and his
staffers would ride their bikes down streets and alleys looking for
areas of improvement in the ward, which was “very inefficient.”
“This
(participatory budgeting) process understands that those people who
know the ward the best are those who live in it,” Cappleman said to
about 30 residents at an expo yesterday showcasing the proposed
projects. Read more »
Quanzina Haynes plans to pull her children from the Chicago Public
Schools (CPS) district if the Chicago Board of Education votes in favor
of closing their school, 
Opponents of a 
South Side residents unveiled plans for new sidewalks, a community
garden and other infrastructure needs to be created with Ald. Leslie
Hairston's (5th) $1.3 million in “menu money” at the ward's final participatory budgeting expo. 
Residents of the 45th ward are able to contribute to the
decision-making process for discretionary capital funding for the first
time this year, as 
Rogers Park residents gathered for the final installation of the 
