When adopting the budget for 2024, the city Council approved an appropriation of EUR 20 000 for participatory budgeting on the theme of seniors – supporting the well-being of older people. The city’s strategy aims to invest in people’s well-being and prevent exclusion in all age groups, and to strengthen community and inclusion.

Ideas and suggestions for participatory budgeting were invited in March. In April, the Council for Older People, acting as a panel, selected five shortlisted proposals:

• Supporting mobility for older people, including from the private sector
• Getting started with the Commu app
• Traffic evenings in Heimolinna
• Residential safety walks by village and district
• Developing daytime activities for older people.

In the ensuing vote, just under a hundred responses were received, with 49% of all votes going to the development of day activities for older people. The Finance Director’s decision confirmed the 2024 participatory budgeting target and the officers will continue to plan for implementation.

Decision of the Finance Director attached (in Finnish)

The participatory budgeting process

• The first round of calls for ideas was open from 10 March to 31 March 2024. The ideas received will be selected as viable and will be the subject of a new survey of residents.
• Next, the jury selected the most viable proposals from among those received.
• The third stage is to vote on the most preferable option from 26.4. to 19.5.2024
• Implementation of the idea(s) selected by the vote.

Schedule

• 2/2024 planning
• 3/2024 proposal to the City Council
• 3/2024 brainstorming
• 4/2024 the passing of ideas between office holders
• 4/2024 vote
• 4/2024 ballot results in
• 10/2024 project reporting

Involving residents in the brainstorming

Participatory budgeting combines economy and democracy by involving residents in deciding where financial resources are spent. The money is not distributed like grants, but all residents can propose and vote on the selected proposals to decide where the €20,000 set aside will be spent.

As a condition for participatory budgeting, the idea proposed must be new and the project must not have received funding in previous years. Within a budget of €20,000, one or more ideas may be implemented, depending on the outcome of the vote.

• The use must be such that it can (as a rule) be implemented during 2024. Ideas can be related to events, improving the safety of the local environment, leisure opportunities or even increasing the sense of community and well-being. Investments are not covered by participatory budgeting.
• The implementation of the idea is a one-off cost and should not result in significant recurring staff or other operating costs for the city in subsequent years.
• The idea can be implemented by the proposer or by the municipality; if the proposer is a private person or an unregistered group of private persons and the proposer wants to implement the idea, the grant can only be paid afterwards against receipts.
• If necessary, an idea can be combined with a similar idea or ideas to form a larger whole before it goes to a vote.
• A panel of experts from the city will evaluate the proposals and, if necessary, contact the proposer regarding the content and implementation of the idea. The selected proposals will be put to a vote.
• The principle is that the idea that receives the most votes and then as many ideas as can be implemented with the budget is allocated.
• The Council for the Elderly and Disabled makes a proposal for the beneficiary(ies) based on the result of the vote and the Finance Director makes the formal decision.

Previous participatory budgeting sites

Previous participatory budgeting projects have focused on a frisbee golf course in Juva, skateboard ramps at the request of young people, and various projects to improve the quality of life in villages in the Loimaa area.