Slavic Village residents can submit ideas for People’s Budget pilot

Slavic Village residents can now submit ideas for how to spend up to $100,000 on community projects as part of a participatory budgeting pilot. 

The pilot, launched in October by PB CLE, is funded by grants and with support from national and grassroots foundations and donors. Submissions will be open until April 15.

PB CLE was the driving force behind Issue 38, which pitched a plan to set aside $14 million, or about 2% of the city’s General Fund, for Cleveland residents to spend through a participatory budgeting process. The 2023 ballot initiative lost by a narrow margin, about 2% of the vote. But the enthusiasm continued. 

Last March, communities across the city applied to become a pilot neighborhood for a participatory budgeting process. After reviewing 12 different neighborhood applications, PB CLE zeroed in on Slavic Village and Lee-Seville. 

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Due to strong applications from both neighborhoods, PB CLE decided who would win by a coin-flip method at Luke Easter Park. Slavic Village was declared the winner.

Each idea proposed will be allocated an estimated dollar amount. The top five proposals with the most resident votes will be awarded with a minimum dollar amount of $10,000 up to $100,000. 

Who can submit ideas?

Slavic Village residents, high school age and up, may submit ideas. (Minors will require parental consent.) Members of Slavic Village organizations and resident members of the Neighborhood Steering Committee may submit ideas as well. 

Cassie Park, program coordinator for PB CLE, said the pilot is an opportunity to showcase what is possible when investing in people and neighborhoods.

“We are building a leadership development program,” Park said. “We are trying to build residents’ leadership by building up the power of many, not just a few.”

Najah Muhammad, program manager at PB CLE, said the work is important because residents are the experts on their own neighborhoods. 

“Based on what we’ve seen in other cities, once people experience civic engagement and a sense of ownership, they’ll continue to be active citizens for life.”

What ideas are eligible?

To be eligible, projects must fit into the budget, be feasible to implement, serve the public and positively impact the community. Projects may include the following:

• Street improvements
• Enhancing public spaces
• Community garden programs
• Vocational training
• Financial literacy

Projects may not include:

• Paying the salary of a public employee to provide services
• Repairing or enhancing a private property without a clear public benefit
• Increase the frequency of RTA buses and trains
• Increased surveillance/policing
• Helping an organization renovate a space that it rents from a private landlord

Where can I submit my ideas? 

Ideas for the PB CLE pilot can be submitted a few different ways:

• Online portal: PB CLE has created a self-guided, online submission idea form for  eligible participants to submit their ideas. 

• Idea collection events: PB CLE will host idea collection sites at the following block club meetings, recreation centers and community events:

• PB CLE Drop Boxes: PB CLE will have drop boxes to submit ideas at the following community/recreation centers:

How will projects get picked?

Four groups will help select the projects. They include:

• The Neighborhood Steering Committee (NSC): Thirteen residents and community members of Slavic Village will design the process, establish policies and procedures, and implement, and evaluate the pilot alongside PB CLE. 

• People’s Budget Cleveland: PB CLE is responsible for designing the process, establishing policies and procedures, implementing and evaluating People’s Budget in Slavic Village. Additionally, PB CLE is responsible for facilitating partnerships and relationship building between residents, community organizations and other stakeholders.  

• Budget delegates: Community members who develop ideas into ballot proposals.

• Residents: Slavic Village residents are encouraged to participate in the PB process by submitting project ideas, becoming budget delegates or voting in the election. The top five proposals will be decided by resident voters.

When will projects be selected?

A final list of 14 proposals maximum will be finalized by the steering committee, budget delegates and PB CLE by reviewing and incorporating relevant public feedback. Then, the groups, along with coaches, will conduct a final assessment for each ballot proposal and determine estimated costs. Draft proposals will be finalized by the end of April.

A ballot with one to14 proposals will be available for in-person and online voting in June. Residents will be able to vote at community centers, events and meetings across the neighborhood. The steering committee will decide the exact voting method once idea submission closes. 

Where do I get more information? 

For more information, such as eligible ideas or for additional questions, contact pbclecoalition@gmail.com or check out the PB CLE guidebook here.