Cambridge seeking ideas from community to spend $500,000 on projects to improve city
The city of Cambridge is accepting proposals for the latest round of its participatory budgeting program, which allows residents to propose and vote on projects designed to improve the city.
The program allocates $500,000 for ideas submitted by community members. Residents ages 12 and older can vote on which proposals receive funding.
"The idea behind doing this is trying to find an easy, fun and engaging way for all members of the community to have a say in how part of the city's budget is spent for them," said Melissa Liu, the city's participatory budgeting coordinator.
Dozens of residents have already submitted proposals, including Glen Heinmiller.
For 30 years, Heinmiller has grown beans, beets and tomatoes in his neighborhood community garden in Cambridge.
"I especially like growing tomatoes because it's really, really hard to get a good tomato," Heinmiller said.
Now, he wants more residents to have the same opportunity. But a shortage of community garden plots and lengthy waitlists make that difficult.
There are 14 community gardens across the city, and many have more than 100 people waiting for a plot. Heinmiller said his garden typically has only two or three openings for new gardeners each year.
His proposal is to build more community gardens in the city.
Liu, a lifelong Cambridge resident, said the program gives neighbors an opportunity to play a direct role in shaping their community.
"It makes us all take a little more accountability, I think, for the community that we are in and be more proud of the city that we share," Liu said.
Heinmiller said he hopes fellow residents support his proposal and help expand access to community gardening.
"If this is an avenue to get something like more community garden plots built, then it's great and I love it," he said.
Since the program began in 2014, the city has contributed $11 million to fund 80 projects. The process is designed to give residents a direct voice in how city funds are spent.
