FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
October 17, 2023
MEDIA CONTACT
Maria Lee, Media and Communications,
maria.lee@cityoftacoma.org, (253) 591-2054
Tacoma’s District 4 Decides to Spend $1 Million Creating Community Connections
--Grant Program Will be Developed to Fund Cultural Events, Out-of-School Youth Programming and Community Activities for One Year--
TACOMA, Wash. – With 12,389 Participatory Budgeting votes tallied from community members in District 4, a community-proposed project has been selected that focuses on creating community connections through a grant program funding cultural events, out-of-school youth programming, and community activities for one year. Implementation is projected to begin in early 2024.
“I am proud of the work that community members in District 4 did to evaluate and select the project that they felt District 4 needed most,” said District 4 Council Member Catherine Ushka. “This project makes a powerful statement about who we are. We care about our youth. We are creative, resourceful, resilient, and strong. Our cultural diversity makes us even stronger. We look out for one another, and we look to the future with optimism and a shared sense of purpose.”
Other community-proposed projects in District 4 had included:
- Tennis court lighting at Lincoln Playfield and a covered basketball court in Lincoln Park
- A short-term job training program to improve neighborhood health and beauty through hiring District 4 residents to plant trees, improve parks, and implement other climate actions
- Expansion of community garden work to allow for three years of collaborative work in areas such as business training, cultural food education, a community kitchen, etc.
Voting ended September 30, 2023.
District 2 will now embark on its own participatory budgeting process. District 2 community members who are interested in taking a leadership role in this process may contact any of the City staff contacts listed at cityoftacoma.org/PBTacoma.
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