City Opens Participatory Budgeting Project Proposal Period for 2024

SARATOGA SPRINGS — Deemed as creating a more equitable distribution of public resources, the Saratoga Springs Finance Department in Spring 2022 launched a Participatory Budgeting pilot project. 

One year later, 864 city residents voted for nine projects they most wanted to see addressed in the pilot program introduced by Finance Commissioner Minita Sanghvi. 

The Participatory Budgeting process encourages local community members to participate in the city’s budget process by voting on how to spend a portion of up to 0.25% of the City’s total budget - approximately $150,000. 

The city announced this week it is now accepting participatory budgeting project proposals through July 1, 2024 for cycle three of funding. 

Last year, a total of 15 submissions with proposed projects ranging from smaller-scale recreation initiatives to larger community-wide accessible programming were accepted for cycle two, and in December, residents voted from among these five final projects on the ballot: Bocce Ball Court, Saratoga Farmer’s Market, Opera Saratoga Family Programming, Solar Charging Bench for the Saratoga Springs Public Library, and Lake Avenue School Centennial Celebration.