Edmonton councillors launch participatory budgeting project

Two Edmonton councillors have teamed up to launch the city's first participatory budgeting project.

Two Edmonton councillors have teamed up to launch the city’s first participatory budgeting project.

Residents in Ward Nakota Isga and Ward Karhiio will have the opportunity to decide where some of Edmonton’s tax dollars go.

“Help us allocate some of our existing ward budgets and putting that to things that are going to help make the community better,” Ward Nakota Isga councillor Andrew Knack said.

The money will come out of existing ward budgets.

Every year, each councillor gets just under $200,000, typically spent on staffing. But surpluses can be used to fund small-scale projects, like the participatory budget.

“Help people accomplish some of the things that maybe they’ve been wanting to do for a while, but didn’t have the resources to do,” Ward Karhiio councillor Keren Tang said.

“There’s been quite a bit of interest and excitement. People have talked about a street food festival or a Mill Woods dining week, very much like a downtown or Chinatown dining week.”

“The whole point of this is that we know that not every idea requires this giant budget — requires millions of dollars,” Knack said.