This is the sixth edition of the Civic Budget. From the 1st of April we are waiting for new projects which will be implemented in 2020. Residents have time to submit them by the 6th of May. As of this year, several changes will be introduced. Each person will be able to vote for 4 projects, which will be divided into district (2 votes) and city-wide (2 votes). It is also required to obtain the support of two people. The amount to be distributed remains unchanged - PLN 15 million.
From this year, in accordance with the amendment to the Act on Municipal Self-Government, the civic budget is obligatory in all cities with district rights. For Lublin it is nothing new, we have introduced this participation tool many years ago and once again our residents have an opportunity to submit their ideas as part of this procedure. The new selection starts with changed rules, developed jointly during public consultations. I am convinced that the ingenuity and activity of Lublin inhabitants will remain at the highest level as always - says Krzysztof Żuk, Mayor of Lublin.
Instead of M and D – O and D
As a result of statutory provisions, the existing small [Polish: małe] and large [Polish: duże] projects have been replaced by:
District [Polish: dzielnicowe] - those which serve the residents of a given district in a special way. Their value cannot exceed 300 thousand zlotys. This amount will be used in each district, provided that projects are submitted in all districts. Otherwise, the unused money will return to the city-wide pool. PLN 8.1 million has been earmarked for the implementation of ideas in the districts.
City-wide [Polish: ogólnomiejskie], are projects which concern the needs of residents of more than one district or the place of their implementation is not assigned to a specific area. The resolution adopted by the City Council states that such a project must meet at least one of the following conditions:
- must concern at least 2 districts,
- its value exceeds PLN 300 thousand,
- it has no investment character, i.e. connected with construction or renovation - the so-called "soft" projects concern e.g. sports activities or social animation.
This means that we have two types of city-wide projects:
- investment projects - related to renovation, construction or reconstruction of infrastructure. Their value may amount to maximum PLN 1.2 million. What distinguishes them from district projects is the fact that they can be located in more than one district. It may happen that the location can be found in the area of e.g. Czechów Północny, but the facility that we want to renovate, e.g. a sports ground, serves the residents of the whole city. In such a case, the assessment team will look mainly at the arguments of the author. A total of PLN 4.83 million will be earmarked for the implementation of “hard” projects.
- non-investment projects – so called ”soft” projects are not related to the construction or renovation and concern for instance sports activities or social animation. Their value may amount to a maximum of PLN 300 thousand. They are dedicated to more than one district or it is difficult to assign them to a specific place. These can be (for example) trainings or running competitions which can be used by people living in different parts of our city. For the implementation of such projects, the resolution reserves 30% of funds earmarked for city-wide projects, in a total of PLN 2.07 million.
Letters of support
This year's novelty, which also results from the statutory provisions, is the need to include a list of people supporting our project. There was no such requirement in Lublin, but in order to comply with the letter of the law, we introduce the necessity to include a list of at least 2 people supporting a given project. If there is no such list, the author will be asked to complete it, if he fails to do so, the project will fall off at the formal stage.
2+2=4
The amendment also applies to voting time. It will traditionally take place from the 23rd September to the 10th October. This year, each person will have 4 votes: 2 for district projects and 2 for city-wide projects. As in previous years, it will be possible to vote electronically and traditionally on voting cards.
