Municipal budget hearings are a lot like root canal, except they are more painful. They're open to the public, but few people ever show up. Until yesterday, I've never seen a municipality reach out to the public and actually encourage their participation. Allentown Communications Czarina Genesis Ortega sent a news release with a schedule of committee meetings today and tomorrow in which department heads can discuss what they need. That's the norm. But in addition, the city plans to schedule public input meetings in which residents can provide their own insights. After all, it's your money.
This is quite democratic, and a far cry from the usual special interests who hold their hands out every year.
3 comments:
Allentown should allocate monies toward programs which will make Allentown safe. A program like, My Block, My Hood, My City that is in Chicago, could be a start. Get the youth involved. Can also work block to block, how can residents be helped? Can they be referred to services? Help with yard work, shoveling, hire youth to help them. Work with landlords. It takes a village and Allentown needs programs like one mentioned above. It would be a start in turning the city around.
They can spend it on more police officers.
For anything they’re thinking about wasting on social workers going to crime scenes and non-profit mentoring programs run by felons, kindly send it back in the form of a tax refund.
Anything would be better than administrative costs that far exceed any gain! The parasitic types are circling like vultures.
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