The City Council and City Manager Tai Jaiyeoba expressed agreement that the Participatory Budgeting program isn’t working at the Thursday, Sept. 28 work session.
While a number of problems were talked about, the big one–the one that it appears will cause the demise of the current program–is that the wrong people are participating.
One of the constant struggles of the Participatory Budgeting program is that the vast majority of the people in Greensboro don’t participate. In fact, 99.3 percent of the population of Greensboro didn’t vote in the last round of Participatory Budgeting.
But the problem that is going to kill the program is that the 0.7 percent of people who did participate are the wrong people and according to Jaiyeoba don’t fit in with “city priorities.”
After the presentation Jaiyeoba said, “I think the elephant in the room is, is this working and the way I look at it is that it is not meeting the original intent of the PB program.”
The “elephant” is in the demographics of those who participate in Participatory Budgeting. In the last round of Participatory Budgeting, 72 percent of those voting were white and 15 percent were black. In the income level category, basically, as the income level increases so does the percentage of participation and Participatory Budgeting. Only 18 percent of those participating were 34 years old or younger, while 36 percent were over 55.
The fact that those voting in Participatory Budgeting elections tended to be white, wealthier and older than the population of Greensboro was seen as a problem.
District 1 Councilmember Sharon Hightower said, “I don’t think it’s working either.”
She added, “It’s very disturbing that only 15 percent of African Americans participate.”
District 5 Councilmember Tammi Thurm, who is the council liaison to the Participatory Budgeting Commission, said, “This format isn’t working. We don’t have enough people voting and we don’t have people voting equitably across the city.”
She added, “We went to online voting to try and drive the numbers up. We still had just as many in person meetings and in person places to vote, but we added online voting hoping that would drive the numbers up, and it did drive the numbers up, but it only drove the numbers up in certain areas, which is problematic.”
Those areas where the numbers went up were District 4, represented by Councilmember Nancy Hoffmann, which totaled 714 votes, and District 3, represented by Councilmember Zack Matheny, which had 660 votes.
City Council District 2 represented by Councilmember Goldie Wells had the lowest total number of votes at 218, followed by District 5 with 255 and District 1 with 271.
What’s wrong with rich WHITE women. Oh my maybe Hightower could involve mwbe or get king skip from the county involved or even better get Michelle kennedy and the LGBTQIA’s involved. I’m sure there are better ideas to be found. This council is soooo STUPID
Man, are these people on the ball or what? Who will they lay the blame on? Bet it is not one of them!!!
How are these liberal Communists working out for ya?
So basically the people that participated are the people who pay the bulk of the property taxes….and the City Manager and council members agree that this is a problem?!?!?
Sounds to me like Greensboro needs leadership that listens and doesn’t play God.
So the City Council and City Manager are upset about the “participant”s in the Participatory Budgeting meeting…guess it is such a shame when those who pay the majority of the taxes for this budget do not fit their criteria!!! How about letting those who get the majority of the budget in Greensboro and Guilford County pay the taxes used and the others who do not benefit much from taxes can just sit home and save their money!! Hare dare anyone complain about those who pay the most wanting a say…this City Council and Manager are totally unreal…
LMAO…guess council sees that most don’t trust them and even more imporant how racist this council is… ” the wrong people are participating “. Guess east greensboro can’t stomach that and neither can the racists so called city manager. Pitiful.
Duh!!! The City Council and Manager continue to show just how STUPID they really are! They just refuse to accept the fact that most BLACKS have absolutely no interest in participating in anything that is not going to give them an immediate personal benefit.
Council needs to move the Participatory Budgeting Funds to the GPD and earmark it for traffic control. Friends of mine, recently observed a vehicle do a donut on Wendover at the intersection in front of Rooms To Go. This was at 12:30 PM, during a brief time that all traffic was stopped. I could go on and on about problems with out-of-control drivers; you’ve seen it!
The results didn’t come out the way they wanted so, as usual, they blame it on the white people and throw it out.
People wanting to pay less taxes aren’t the on3s they want to hear from.
This City Manager is awful. Everyone is informed about the program. It is out there. I participated a few times, but it was clear that the Councilmember – no longer – already had determined how that money would be spent. What happened to the time when every council district was given $100,000 to spend as they please in their district. Finally, what is so wrong that the only people are “rich white women.” Oftentimes they are the ones that fight for money for the homeless, for special programs to help the poor. It’s not all about them.. And they are tax paying citizens like everyone else. I am a white woman, not rich, but I spend a lot of time trying to help others. This City manager is racist. Racism isn’t only white against people of color. It’s anyone against anyone of color and white is a color. This City is racist in so many ways. Everyone hates everyone. So, Mr. manager, who has done nothing but criticize how Greensboro works since day one, you are racist as well.
Racism only exists because we use it as an excuse for everything. If they leave the people who actually participate alone, and leave race out of the conversation it will remedy itself. It’s up to those who aren’t participating to step up if they wish to be a part of the conversation. If we have anyone to be angry with it would be these socialist liberals who seem to want to make everyone the same. We’ll, life has never been fair, and all peoples have never been the same. Our own unique heritage & culture has made us all who we are. I don’t need someone else to validate me, and I don’t have any desire to try to make everyone like me. BE YOURSELF or ________ yourself! You owe no one anything, and likewise no one owes you a thing. When the silent majority shows up at the polls in a few months, I hope the rumble is heard around the globe! Instead of watching these clowns worship Karl Marx, let’s throw enough of them out that they then ask Karl who???
Excellent comment!
Another MAJOR waste of tax payer money!
Those who participate should be heard…no matter what their race. Why is this always a dividing issue…do we have to beg people to contribute their ideas just because they are black or a minority. Let’s grow up!
AMEN
That wasteful program might have passed on an 8 to 1 vote.
Why is the city collecting statistics on citizens that participated? Who collects this info and how? Income level? Race? Age? Why collect this info except to include or exclude certain demographics? Our city leaders and manager are terrible at being anything other than divisive and incompetent.
We elect people to be on the council, so they are the ones who should be deciding on budget issues from their constitutents. . . .us. Participatory budgeting is electing the right people to sit on the council, not some lame brain idea to involve a few community groups to ask for more money to do pet projects.
Stop the funding of “community groups” which all tend to vote for those on the council. How many of these “groups” have gotten money from the council, yet have relatives who are paid in the these community groups. Maybe the council needs to have community groups sign documents which forbids them from hiring their family members, family members of friends, etc. Can you say Yvonne Johnson?
By their definition, the City Council was elected by the “wrong people”, too.
This is the most ridiculous conclusion I have ever heard. Don’t they realize that the people who answered the survey are the ones that care about this city. The people who took the time to come to a meeting or do the survey on The internet are the ones the council should be listening to because they do give a damn. You can’t force people to want to be involved nor should you ever stop listening to those who do. Wake up council. This survey should tell you all you need to know.
I am “pissed off” with the comments from City Manager.
The responses are from the areas in which Council members participate and inform their community members.
Implement the suggestions.
Take balance of funds and put into the hands of those who is responsible for paving our road.
Hopefully some of the money can go to cutting grass off the curbs. Trimming brush off road ways.
We are GREENsboro, act like it!