Do you live in Eureka? Would you like to have a say in how the city spends some of your tax dollars? Do you have a project in mind that would benefit folks in your community or neighborhood? If you answered “yes” to all three of those questions, you might want to get involved in the City of Eureka’s participatory budgeting process.

Image: City of Eureka

The City of Eureka set aside $75,000 of this year’s budget for participatory budgeting, a process in which local residents decide how public funds are spent. Each of Eureka’s five wards will get approximately $15,000 for projects that seek to improve the quality of life in their neighborhoods.

The Eureka City Council approved five projects during last year’s participatory budgeting process: a rental assistance program, a utility assistance program, a tiny home and city-sanctioned encampment workshop, enhanced traffic safety measures at California and Wabash streets, and a mural at the intersection of Summer and 14th streets.

“Last year was kind of a learning experience because it was our first time doing participatory budgeting,” Lane Millar, the city’s finance director, told the Outpost. “We’re hoping people are more inspired to bring creative projects to the table this time around.”

Asked what kind of projects the city is looking for, Millar said the city is open to a variety of ideas, as long as they’re legal and located within Eureka city limits. 

The City of Eureka is looking for delegates and delegate alternates to help organize meetings within their wards and work with neighborhoods to turn ideas into full-blown project proposals. The city council will select a delegate and an alternate from each ward. Those interested can submit an application at this link. Applications will be accepted through Friday, March 29.

More information on the participatory budgeting process can be found here.