First Maastricht Citizens' Budget divides 300,000 euros among 38 projects
38 projects will be implemented in the coming year with the help of the Maastricht's Citizen's Budget. 175 residents came to this decision on 23 October at Muziekgieterij. 27 projects were eliminated.
The selected projects focus on greening up the city, building social connections and encouraging participation in the neighbourhoods of Maastricht. Project proposers must implement their proposal within a year.
Proud of the results
"Maastricht residents should be proud of the results," said Manon Fokke, member of the municipal executive for citizen participation. "When we started a year ago, we did not yet know what the money would be spent on. Residents have always come to decisions together by listening carefully and engaging with each other. I am incredibly happy with everyone's enthusiasm and involvement in this first edition."
Blueprint for Limburg municipalities
Deputy Madeleine van Toorenburg of Provincie Limburg (the province of Limburg), which is funding half of the first Maastricht citizens' budget, is also pleased: "We have contributed to in this experiment to investigate whether this form of direct citizen participation could provide a blueprint for other Limburg municipalities. That potential is very much there. A citizens' budget not only delivers concrete improvements in neighbourhoods, but also strengthens social cohesion and encourages ownership and self-management among residents."
Projects
All selected projects can be found on the Burgerbegroting website.
Maastricht Citizens' Budget: to be continued
The Maastricht Citizens' Budget will be continued and further developed in the coming years. The second edition will start in April next year.
Manon Fokke: “The citizens' budget allows you to make a real difference in your neighbourhood or district. The projects at various locations in the city will make this visible in the time to come. We will evaluate the first edition, talk about what went well and what can be improved. We will start a new edition based on that. I hope that even more residents will want to participate. In any case, I am very much looking forward to it."
