Masten District voters have a chance this week to choose how $150,000 in city money is spent, in a test of what's called Participatory Budgeting.
The week-long vote started yesterday in the the Delavan Grider Community Center. After a winnowing of suggestions knocked out those which didn't meet the rules or were submitted too late, the list went before voters who could prove they lived in the district. Possibilities ranged from bus shelters to a farmer's market.
"There's really nowhere to buy fruits, vegetables...real food," said Vinny Rondinelli, who voted in favor of using $14,000 of the money for a farmer's market near Main and Fillmore.
"They said this could happen, we'd like to make it happen. And, so we spoke with a lot of different groups that are doing these types of things in the city and we figured we could make this happen."
The money has to be spent by the end of this fiscal year June 30. Next budget year, a different district might get a shot at some extra money.
"When people see that they actually have real dollars to spend, it basically incentivizes them to come out and be more active and involved and engaged in the process," said Masten Councilmember Ulysees Wingo.
"That's what we are looking for. We want people to be actually engaged in this democratic process."
Voting continues today and through Saturday in everywhere from Metro Rail stations to a KFC to Saturday's Easter Egg Hunt at Martin Luther King Park.
