Participatory Budgeting is a democratic process in which a community decides how to spend a portion of their government's budget. The City of Tacoma has set aside $1,000,000 for your district.
Over 2,000 ideas were submitted by you and your neighbors in Tacoma's Council District 2 (Downtown, Dome District, Stadium District, Northeast Tacoma, and North Tacoma). The three most popular ideas were turned into proposals for this ballot. Voting closed on September 20, 2024, and the winner was announced on October 12 at the Festival Herencia Latina at the Tacoma Armory.
District 2 $1 Million Project Announcement
Over 6,000 Participatory Budgeting votes were tallied from community members in District 2. The community-proposed project that has been selected will design and build a covered skate park featuring public art in Downtown Tacoma, in a location under I-705. The proposed project is an exciting community initiative aimed at creating a vibrant space for both skateboarding and public art. Implementation is projected to begin in 2025.
Other community-proposed projects in District 2 had included:
- Upgrade accommodations at the City of Tacoma’s emergency shelter stability site on Puyallup Avenue with two shower/bathroom units, added access to electricity, ADA accessibility, and more.
- Fund youth programming for the new dedicated teen area, the community hub, and the Makerspace at Tacoma Public Library’s Main location.
Implementing community chosen projects in Council District 4 and 2 will continue through the fall of 2024.
The Participatory Budgeting process will be delayed to a future date, meaning that no new Council District processes will start in the fall of 2024.
Closing the General Fund’s gap in the 2025-2026 Proposed Budget means difficult tradeoffs and reductions. The proposed budget begins to address the structural gap through pausing the remaining three Participatory Budgeting projects so that funding can be used to help balance the budget. As future budget processes come forward, the City Council can decide when the appropriate time to restart Participatory Budgeting processes. As future budget processes come forward, the City will assess the appropriate time to restart Participatory Budgeting processes.