Bob Weinstein’s Post

Yesterday, we had the opportunity to attend the Town Hall Meeting for the 5th Council District. Our Mayor discussed the city's 5-year budget plan and its implications for our community. #CityBudget #TownHallMeeting #CommunityEngagement #CityPlanning #CouncilDistrict5 #LocalGovernment #PublicMeeting #CommunityUpdates #CityDevelopment #BudgetPlanning #CommunityInvolvement #UrbanDevelopment #CityNews #MunicipalPlanning #CivicParticipation

🗣️ Check out this must-read Op-Ed from Housing Santa Cruz County! Elaine Johnson, Executive Director of Housing Santa Cruz County, explains why Proposition 5 is a game-changer for affordable housing in California. This crucial measure seeks to lower the threshold for public approval of affordable housing and infrastructure from 66.7% to 55%. Elaine shares why this change is essential for getting much-needed housing built in our state. 📢 Read more and join the conversation: https://ow.ly/U8cP50TOYtB 📸: Yes on 5

Did you know that, until 1989, residents had little say in how their city spent its money? Sure, you could vote on the occasional proposition. But even that was rather top-down—rarely could you just propose an idea and see the city put money toward it. That changed when Porto Alegre, a city in Brazil, invented something called participatory budgeting. Want to prioritize homebuying assistance, education, or potholes? Just vote on it. Residents in Porto Alegre prioritized infrastructure, and the city listened. A decade after the advent of participatory budgeting, households with sewage connections doubled, the percentage of treated wastewater increased by an order of magnitude, and life expectancy rose by four years. And now, this flavor of direct democracy is gaining steam in the United States and Canada, with the hope that it might lead to more equitable projects—and maybe even restore trust in our crumbling institutions. But others argue that participatory budgeting would actually worsen equity—and, to some councilmembers, it might tip the scales of power a few million dollars too far. I’m very pleased with how this one turned out. It’s part–history lesson, part–contemporary showcase, part–policy cheat sheat. Read more here: https://lnkd.in/guFYYx_B Thanks as always to Doug Beeferman for editing and for providing valuable insight. Pictured: A map showing which states have mentioned “participatory” most often since January 2022 in city council meetings. (“Participatory” usually precedes “budgeting.”) California comes in first, at 68 meetings; Massachusetts is second, at 50 meetings, mostly from Boston.

Learn more about Proposition 5, a statewide measure that enables Californians to address the affordable housing and public infrastructure needs in their communities by empowering them to approve bonds for affordable housing, critical public infrastructure, and emergency response with a 55% vote.

Montgomery County FY2025 Budget Approved! The Montgomery County Commission has passed a $149.2 million budget, with strategic investments to enhance public safety, infrastructure, and community services. Here’s a glimpse at where the funding will go: $53.9 million for general government operations $51 million for public safety initiatives $18.3 million for roads and highways $1.67 million for public facility improvements and park upgrades Chairman Doug Singleton highlighted the Commission's commitment to building a resilient county while maintaining fiscal responsibility. These investments are designed to foster a safer, stronger Montgomery County, driving growth and enhancing the quality of life for residents. 💼 #MontgomeryCounty #FiscalResponsibility #PublicSafety #EconomicGrowth #Infrastructure #Budget2025

🚇 Big Boost for Public Transit in Pennsylvania! 🚌 Read more about a groundbreaking budget proposal for 2024-25, targeting a monumental increase in funding for PA's public transit systems: https://lnkd.in/ggQiCaqi 🚉 Major benefits for Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority (SEPTA), aiming to revitalize and modernize public transportation in the region. #PublicTransit #Pennsylvania #BudgetProposal #EconomicGrowth #SEPTA #PublicTransit, #BudgetProposal, #Pennsylvania, #GovernorJoshShapiro, #FundingIncrease, #SEPTA, #EconomicGrowth, #JobCreation, #SafeTravel, #SalesTaxRevenue, #CapitalBudget, #InfrastructureModernization, #ServiceEnhancement, #FareHike, #SafetyImprovements

For the first time since 2008, Wichita Public Schools (WPS) is asking voters to approve a $450 million bond to modernize district infrastructure. This includes rebuilding, renovating, and repurposing critical facilities—without raising taxes. 📅 The vote is scheduled for February 25, 2025: https://lnkd.in/gjADzWAv The bond will support innovative learning spaces, new outdoor athletic fields, and the creation of a Future Ready Center for Trades. Additionally, several schools are slated for relocation or closure to optimize resources for students. #WichitaPublicSchools #EducationInfrastructure #BondIssue #SchoolFacilities #GovMarketNews #GovernmentContracting #PublicSectorInvestments #StrategicPlanning #Wichita

Housing affordability is a pressing concern affecting citizens nationwide, with the escalating costs of building materials and over-regulation serving as major impediments to accessible housing. To tackle this challenge, VSI is supporting legislation in Iowa, Minnesota and Georgia in 2024. If a building material is approved in the state’s building code, localities cannot ban the material or mandate a more expensive, less desirable material. Learn more about our advocacy efforts. https://buff.ly/3wIpriP

The next bill I want to highlight from the 2024 Session of the General Assembly is House Bill 131 filed by Delegate Vaughn Stewart. This bill requires local jurisdictions with at least 150,000 residents to report development and building permitting data to the Department of Housing and Community Development. In particular, counties and cities will need to report how many development applications were filed and how many of those applications turned into actual housing units. The value of this data to future housing debates cannot be understated. In 2-3 years, we will have clear evidence of the most significant obstacles to housing construction at the local level. This bill was filed without a Senate cross-file, which made the intervening deadlines more severe (and nerve-wracking). Delegate Stewart and his team deftly navigated the bill through both houses and it's now awaiting the Governor's signature!