Durham Reporter

City of Durham residents are now invited to share their funding priorities for the City’s upcoming budget by joining in Community Conversations next month.

What You Need to Know

• In-person and virtual conversations scheduled to better understand resident priorities for City spending.
• Funding priorities will be shared with the City Council and used to inform the City’s FY24-25 Budget.
• Participants 16 years old and over are eligible for $50 gift cards. In-person attendees will also receive food and beverage, on-site childcare, and Spanish interpretation services.
• Pre-registration for all four Community Conversations now open.

The City’s Budget and Management Services Department is seeking input to better understand resident priorities for City spending through a series of in-person and virtual conversations. The department has partnered with ETR Services to facilitate these conversations where attendees will have opportunities to make their voices heard early in the budget development process. The funding priorities identified during these conversations will then be shared with the City Council during their February and March Budget Retreats and used to help inform the City’s upcoming budget for fiscal year 2024-2025.

In-Person Conversations

Pre-registration is requested and in-person attendees 16 and over will be eligible for a $50 gift card. In-person attendees will also be provided with food and beverage, on-site childcare, and Spanish interpretation. 

• Thursday, January 11, from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. at the I.R. Holmes Recreation Center, 2000 S. Alston Ave.
• Saturday, January 20, from 11 am. to 2 p.m. at the I.R. Holmes Recreation Center, 2000 S. Alston Ave.
• Tuesday, January 23, from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. at the Durham Armory, 212 Foster St.

Each Community Conversation will begin with a brief overview of the process and then attendees will join smaller groups for discussions based around their priorities for future spending, such as: 

• Safe communities (e.g., public safety, crime reduction, streetlights, reducing recidivism, community policing).
• Infrastructure (e.g., land use, sidewalks, parks, transportation, roads, physical activity infrastructure).
• Housing (e.g., affordable housing, homelessness, food insecurity).
• Workforce development (e.g., training programs, job fairs).

Virtual Conversation

For residents who are unable to participate in one of the three in-person conversations, a virtual meeting is also set for Tuesday, January 30, from 6 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. Pre-registration is requested and active participants in this virtual event will be eligible for a $50 gift card.

Community Conversations Survey

Durham residents are also encouraged to give their input on how to frame the four Community Conversations by submitting their feedback through a brief online survey. Participants who submit a completed survey will be entered into a raffle for one-of-20 $50 gift cards. After completing the survey, residents are encouraged to register for in-person or virtual conversations.

Original source can be found here.