CITY OF VALLEJO ANNOUNCES CYCLE 8 PARTICIPATORY BUDGETING VOTE RESULTS

The City of Vallejo announced the Cycle 8 Participatory Budgeting (PB) vote results on July 22 at a public Vote Results Ice Cream Party during the Farmer’s Market in downtown Vallejo.

The Cycle 8 ballot is the outcome of a 6-month process in which Vallejo volunteers and City staff liaisons screened, evaluated, and researched over 400 ideas submitted by community members.

The Cycle 8 Vote launched on May 6 and concluded on June 30, and all Vallejoeans (14 years or older) could choose up to two projects. Residents could vote online or in person at City Hall or other community events. At the end of the vote, a total of 2,553 votes were tabulated. The total project budget for Cycle 8 is $1,010,000, which includes funds from fiscal years 2021-22, 2022-23, and $10K allocation from Councilmember Tina Arriola’s discretionary funds.

Per the PB rulebook, a minimum of 20% of available project funding is allocated for program & service projects; if/when the 20% minimum has been reached, the remaining budget will fall to the next highest vote-getting project(s).

Per this rule, the first $200K will fund the following program and service projects:

• Animals Matter Spay/Neuter, Vaccine And Microchip Project $75,000

• Basic Needs for Warming and Cooling Centers $74,982

• Removing Barriers for Foster Youth Success $48,989

The remaining $810k will fund the following highest-voted projects which include:

• HSNB Facilities Retrofit, Reroof & Repave Capital Project HSNB Facilities $300,000

• Complete Our Streets! Safety First at 5th Street $300,000

The sixth top-voted project is the Modernize Vallejo Skatepark Project. However, with a project cost of $90k over the remaining PB project budget of $210k, this project would require an extra $90k to implement the project as proposed or a reevaluation of the project scope to reduce the cost. Per the PB rulebook, if the available funds do not cover the cost of the Modernize Vallejo Skatepark Project, subject to available resources and the discretion of the City or other agencies, the City Council may attempt to secure additional money to complete the project(s), If the project(s) cannot be completed with partial funds, the remaining funds will go to the project with the next most votes that can be fully funded or into a reserve fund.

If the Modernize Vallejo Skatepark project is bypassed, then the remaining top-voted projects that can be completed with the remaining $210k include the following:

• St. Peter’s Chapel-Stained Glass Windows Protection $39,412

• Robbin Mackbee Firefighter/EMS Youth Academy $75,000

• Full Circle Cycling Program - FREE Camp for Children $33,000

The top voter-approved projects will be presented to City Council on August 29, 2023.

Pending Council approval, City Staff will work with implementing partners to develop contracts for community-selected projects.

For more information, contact Flor Magallanes at Flor.Magallanes@cityofvallejo.net.