This success story was originally published as a 2018 All-America City Award project description and is reprinted courtesy of the National Civic League. Learn more about the award program here.

The San Antonio Office of Equity, in partnership with SA2020, applied an equity impact assessment to seven high-impact City initiatives, including street maintenance, civic engagement to inform the city’s budget, and boards and commissions. One assessment resulted in new outreach strategies, such as  SA Speak Up, which reduced the gap between white and Latino respondents by attracting 200 people to its first Spanish-language Community Night, a family-friendly event held in a park with food, activities, and health screenings.

Three project examples showing how this community leverages civic engagement, collaboration, inclusiveness and innovation to successfully address local issues:

1.  Enroll SA
As part of San Antonio’s visioning project, SA2020, residents identified healthy lifestyles as an important part of life in the city. Although 75 percent of Bexar County residents under age 65 had health insurance in 2010, the community set the goal of increasing the number of insured people to 85 percent by 2020.

In 2013, a collaborative working group of every major local hospital, the County, the City, and multiple community-based organizations, began working together to determine the best way to increase enrollment in health insurance throughout the community.

“EnrollSA, Get Bexar Covered,” an outreach campaign and website, were launched in February 2014. The coalition worked to educate the public about the Affordable Care Act (ACA), including eligibility and deadlines, and provided individual enrollment assistance during large, public events and through appointments citywide.

During each ACA enrollment period, the coalition used data and community partnerships to boost the number of people enrolled. The coalition targeted zip codes with the greatest needs. Examples of partnerships included: Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, a public service organization of mostly African-American women, called people who needed help, and Univision had a phone bank with volunteer Spanish speakers to boost Latinx enrollment. The coalition also used an existing 211 phone service to connect individuals to navigators.

In 2016, 81.6% of residents under 65 had health insurance. Members of the EnrollSA coalition are still working collaboratively to assist residents not only during open enrollment periods, but year-round – continuing their role in ensuring 85% of San Antonians under age 65 are insured

2.  San Antonio Teen Pregnancy Collaborative
Teen pregnancy has been a major problem in Bexar County, with 2010 rates among the highest in the United States. That distinction didn’t sit well, so the San Antonio Teen Pregnancy Prevention Collaborative (SATPPC) was formed to reduce the teen birth rate among females ages 15 to 19.

The SATPPC included an impressive list of cross-sector organizations, including:

• Public entities,
• Community-based organizations, as well as
• Faith-based and secular institutions.

While the numbers still show that Bexar County has one of the highest rates, the collaborative has reduced teen pregnancy steadily since it began its work.

The collaborative has been hitting its targets before the group’s self-imposed deadlines. In 2012, for example, the teen pregnancy rate was down 15 percent, its 2020 goal. By 2014, the rate fell by 25 percent, its revised 2020 goal. So far, the teen pregnancy rate is on track to meet its latest target—a 50 percent cut—by 2020. Between 2010 to 2015, the rates have fallen for ages 15 to 19 among Latina teens, from 65.4 per 1,000 to 39.0, and among African American teens, from 45.6 per 1,000 to 25.3.

This collaborative identified a need to shore up evidence-based programs that focus on behavioral risk factors and to address other determinants of teen behaviors such as the level of parents’ education, access to medically-accurate information, and teens’ knowledge of factual medically-based information.

The collaborative also identified five intervention areas:

1. Community mobilization,
2. Stakeholder education,
3. Evidence-based programs,
4. Youth support and development, and
5. Quality adolescent health care.

3.  Upgrade
Launched in April 2017, Upgrade is managed by the non-profit San Antonio Education Partnership, in collaboration with several organizations including the city, the county, SA2020, the San Antonio Chamber of Commerce, and SA Works, an industry-led strategic workforce development organization aligning education providers with private sector demand to promote economic mobility.

The program targets adults who want to finish their degrees. Upgrade’s advisers work with individuals and employers seeking to upskill their employees by

• helping them explore options for the right college and program;
• providing guidance about financial aid, college transfers, and transcript evaluation; and
• connecting potential students to community resources such as childcare and financial planning.

In the first eight months, 641 adults have inquired, with 512 completing the intake form. Of those who inquired, 69% identify as Latino/a, 7% as African American, 9% as White, 4% as multi-racial, and 11% did not identify.

Upgrade is part of a 22-city network supporting adult learners; San Antonio is the first in Texas. Upgrade stems from the work of SA2020’s Talent Pipeline Task Force, which addressed workforce and attainment through a coalition of employers, workforce development leaders, chambers of commerce, and postsecondary education and social service providers.

The task force developed a plan to better connect education and training to three industries:

• Healthcare and Biosciences;
• Information Technology and Cybersecurity; and
• Advanced Manufacturing, with a specific focus on Transportation Manufacturing, or Automotive and Aerospace.

The task force believed focusing on adult learners could shift economic and educational outcomes.

Additional Resources

• San Antonio, TX, 2018 AAC Award video presentation
• 2018 AAC Award presentation photo gallery

Meet the Manager

Sheryl L. Sculley

City Manager

Sheryl Sculley is the city manager of San Antonio, Texas, the chief executive officer of the municipal corporation of 12,000 employees, an annual operating and capital budget of $2.7 billion, assets of $24 billion, and a city population of 1.5 million residents. With more than 30 years of executive management experience, Sculley was recruited to lead the municipal corporation of the city of San Antonio in 2005. Sheryl was recruited more than a decade ago to San Antonio to overhaul an underperforming city organization. During her tenure, she has replaced the city’s executive staff with some of the nation’s best management talent; increased financial reserves from 3% to 10% of the annual budget; completed more than $2 billion in infrastructure improvements; reduced the property tax rate four times; streamlined city business systems and eliminated 1,600 civilian positions; improved customer service; and elevated the professionalism of city management. One of Sculley’s primary responsibilities is financial management of the City of San Antonio. She has successfully balanced 12 city budgets while elevating the financial standing of the city. The city’s general obligation (G.O.) bond rating by Standard and Poor’s, Moody’s, and Fitch rating services is AAA, a first for the City of San Antonio in 2008 under Sculley’s leadership. Of the top ten largest cities in the U.S., only San Antonio has a G.O. bond rating of AAA from all three major rating agencies. The AAA ratings have been reaffirmed for eight consecutive years. Excerpted from the San Antonio, Texas, website: https://www.sanantonio.gov/Manager/sculleybio

This success story was originally published as a 2018 All-America City Award project description and is reprinted courtesy of the National Civic League. Learn more about the award program here.

Women and people of color are among the municipal leaders throughout Kershaw County. In all plans, projects and services, Kershaw County strives to accurately reflect residents and businesses. When the county school district accepted construction bids for three new schools, special consideration was given to general contractors committed to giving local businesses a legitimate opportunity to bid on the work and a job fair was held to reach local subcontractors. Transparency and accessibility are goals, from hiring practices that endeavor to ensure all communities are aware of vacancies, to ensuring residents are better informed about when and where public forums and official meetings are held.

Three project examples show how this community leverages civic engagement, collaboration, inclusiveness and innovation to successfully address local issues:

1.  Health and Wellness

Community Medical Clinic (CMC) launched a program called LiveWell Kershaw, a population-based care approach to improving health outcomes in Kershaw County.

In collaboration with the University of South Carolina and the state health and human services department, LiveWell Kershaw began with a county-wide health assessment and followed with a health improvement plan. Eat Smart/Move More Kershaw County and the KershawHealth hospital system provided start-up funding. From data gathered, LiveWell Kershaw discovered a health crisis in an underpopulated rural region with six major zip codes and 21% living below poverty.

LiveWell Kershaw employed three strategies to improve the health outcomes of residents in this area:

1. A school-based health center that provided individual counseling, mentoring parent sessions, consultations and support groups. A nurse practitioner and certified medical assistant saw middle and high school students at the high school four days a week.
2. Satellite health care locations, identified based on a high number of emergency room visits, were created to provide personal coaching, medical treatment, mental health counseling and enrollment in other social assistance programs.
3. Training about population health and health equity has been added within the staff and in the county. Training has included quarterly staff and board training, community meetings, and a county-wide population health summit with over 100 attendees.

One of the most significant and impactful programs is the health equity bus tours, which focus on community health statistics, patient challenges and successes, and health care service expansion.

2. Children and Education
A successful program that emerged from a five-year Safe Schools/Healthy Students multi-million-dollar grant and continues to thrive is the Jackson Teen Center. Residents raised money and collected furnishings for the center, which opened in the summer of 2014. The World Venture Foundation funded a new gym floor, with other community partners purchasing bleachers, new basketball goals, and paint for the facility. Unique programs offered are music production and “Job Readiness for Teens” (JRT) program, an after-school and summer employability skills training program.

Kershaw County seeks to develop future leaders through Junior Leadership Kershaw County, a partnership with the Kershaw Chamber of Commerce, KCSD, and Camden Military Academy. Up to 32 high school students are selected for this program, which offers hands-on leadership opportunities.

Another challenge that the community addressed is recreational needs of families with special needs children, who make up 11.2% of the student population; they had to travel more than 35 miles to an accessible playground. Through focus groups, surveys, and public meetings, the rendering of a state-of-the-art playground was developed. Volunteers led the project, raised $300,000 and built the ADA-accessible playground in 14 months. It is the first ADA compliant playground in Kershaw County and one of only 15 in an 11-county region.

These community leaders have now created a formal non-profit organization, PLAY (Place of Learning for Active Youth) Foundation. The foundation is building a Farmers’ Market Pavilion with a community garden and educational space in downtown Camden.

3.  Vision
In early 2015, the Kershaw County Council envisioned a plan capable of uniting citizens and preparing the county for the future. Out of that discussion arose VisionKershaw 2030, which was developed through a comprehensive visioning process that collected information from county residents, community leaders and business owners.

The public engagement process lasted several months and included over 32 outreach events held at volunteer fire stations, churches, government buildings and schools. Staff offered workshops to a diverse cross section of organizations, including the local NAACP chapter and youth leaders. Materials were available in Spanish, and staff answered questions during the annual multi-cultural festival. Of the attendees, over 60% were female, approximately 15% were minorities, and every age demographic was represented. Surveys were also distributed at events and via a dedicated website.

The vision has eight core goals:

1. Economic growth
2. Land use
3. County services
4. Infrastructure and transportation
5. Education
6. Recreation
7. Culture and health.

Since its creation, all local municipalities have adopted VisionKershaw 2030. Kershaw County Council annually discusses aligning the budget with the vision plan. Numerous private enterprises and public entities reference the vision in planning and budgets.

A list of accomplishments would include:

• Improved existing recreation;
• Planning for a new permanent downtown farmers market;
• Reestablishment of the county’s Human Relations Board;
• Completion of a detailed pedestrian, bike and greenway plan, finishing the first connector trail;
• Passing a $129 million school board facility bond referendum and penny sales tax just two years after it failed;
• Starting a mobile food pantry to serve food deserts; and
• Expanding the number of EMS stations in under-served areas.

Additional Resources

• Kershaw County, SC, 2018 AAC Award video presentation
• 2018 AAC Award presentation photo gallery

This success story was originally published as a 2018 All-America City Award project description and is reprinted courtesy of the National Civic League. Learn more about the award program here.

Stockton’s efforts to build a culture of engagement have resulted in community-based programs and systems that are healing decades of trauma for individuals and communities, empowering students who have been historically marginalized and providing new pathways to higher education.

The Stockton City Council recently approved a Diversity Audit study looking at city procurement and employment diversity to identify gaps as well as next steps. The Office of the Mayor commissioned the first “Report on the Status of Women in Stockton” to identify gaps in gender equity in the city. Additionally, all police officers are trained in procedural justice and implicit bias, and the police chief has hosted over 70 reconciliation sessions and use of force listening tours, listening to various community members speak about harms done to them by the police department and ways the department can rebuild community trust.

A new culture of engagement—beyond the official boards and commissions—has started to take hold, and much of the new civic engagement has come from South Stockton, the part of town that arguably suffered the most from the prejudice of past policy. Efforts to have South Stockton designated as a Promise Zone by HUD included bi-weekly community meetings with attendance by more than 40 different nonprofits and government agencies; these meetings created a platform for community members to speak directly with anyone from police officers to school district personnel. Many nonprofits have begun to see community engagement as an opportunity to improve their services.

Three project examples showing how this community leverages civic engagement, collaboration, inclusiveness and innovation to successfully address local issues

1. Healing South Stockton
The neighborhood of South Stockton has suffered trauma and chronic stress caused by decades of neglect in education, economic investment, job opportunities, healthy food choices, and others. While groups have worked to address these specific issues, there has not been a coordinated effort to address trauma collectively—until now. Healing South Stockton (HSS), is a collaborative focused on connecting with residents who have experienced trauma and linking them to culturally appropriate behavioral health services and community supports.

HSS began by working with organizations, schools and faith-based groups to engage residents in focus groups about what they feel contributes to trauma in Stockton and what kind of support is needed, beyond existing services. Based on input from community members and a collective of partners, HSS is mapping the assets of the community—partners, programs, and physical resources—around trauma and social supports. The Stockton Trauma Recovery Center (STRC), run by Fathers and Families of San Joaquin (FFSJ), is working to create a referral system to reduce violence and promote culturally-relevant treatment of trauma. Since 2015, STRC has enrolled over 500 non-duplicated clients into the program and educated more than 1,000 individuals on the benefits and the process involved in acquiring trauma recovery services.

Healing South Stockton has also funded organizations in targeted areas to hire local residents to become “trust builders,” who reach out to residents to share resources, plan community events, and connect people to dedicated neighborhood case managers for additional needs.

2. Us History
In Stockton, like many cities, the legacies, histories, contributions and cultures of people of color have frequently been forgotten and marginalized. To combat this problem, in 2016, the Little Manila Rising started the ethnic studies-based “Us History” after school program. The goal was: “Putting ‘us’ back into U.S. History.” The program met once a week through the 2016-2017 school year and focused on Mexican American, African American, and Filipino American histories and cultures.

The program included discussions of the Chicano Movement, Black Feminist Theory, redlining, and issues facing the undocumented community, among other topics. In April 2017, the Stockton school district discussed adopting Ethnic Studies as an elective. “Us History” students attended the meeting and spoke about what Ethnic Studies meant to them and what it could mean for their community if it was part of their school’s curriculum.

One student said, “In Us History, we were more than educated. We were empowered by our legacy and the legacy of others.” By the end of the night, the motion passed by a 7-0 vote.

However, the district was unable to provide training to teachers, raising concerns that the effort might fail from lack of support. Teachers from “Us History” stepped up to help develop the curriculum. With adoption of Ethnic Studies at the district level, the after-school program serves as more of an incubator, creating space to create an example for new Ethnic Studies teachers and providing no-cost training, since the district cannot.

3.  Stockton Scholars
Higher education has for centuries served as both a gateway to the middle class and a vehicle for socioeconomic mobility. Launched in 2018, Stockton Scholars, is a research-informed, collective impact strategy anchored by, but not limited to, a city-wide college scholarship, modeled after successful Promise Programs in Long Beach, Pittsburgh, and Oakland.

The goal is to triple the number of Stockton students who enter and complete college or university over the next decade. Launched with a $20 million donation from the California Community Foundation, Stockton Scholars makes a simple commitment: if you want to pursue higher education, tuition and fees will not be a barrier. The initial donation provides a scholarship to every Stockton Unified School District graduate for the classes of 2019-2026.

Stockton Scholars recognizes that money is not the sole impediment to degree attainment; as such, the scholarship will be supplemented with the following wraparound services and programmatic initiatives:

• Approximately 90% of high school seniors who complete Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) forms attend college after high school, compared to just 55% of those who do not. To ensure all available federal dollars are accessed, Stockton Scholars will aim for 100% FAFSA completion by 2023.
• Code HS and the Office of the Mayor are launching Code Stockton, an initiative providing all high schools with an “Introduction to Computer Science” course.
• The Reinvent Stockton Foundation will provide the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local Union 595 with a $10,000 grant to establish a toolbox fund, providing students pursuing an apprenticeship with money to purchase tools and supplies.

Additional Resources

• Stockton 2018 AAC Award video presentation
• 2018 AAC Award presentation photo gallery

Meet the Manager

Kurt Wilson

City Manager

Kurt Wilson joined the city of Stockton as deputy city manager in 2012, less than 10 weeks after the city filed for Chapter 9 bankruptcy protection. On January 28, 2014, Wilson was appointed city manager after serving just three months as interim city manager. Following a successful end to the city's bankruptcy, Kurt looks forward to a renewed focus on economic development, the institutionalization of public safety enhancement, and implementation of permanent financial control measures to ensure the city never returns to the dark days of the recent past. In addition to a private sector and nonprofit background, Kurt brings more than two decades of public sector experience serving in both elected and senior staff capacities for four cities and two state agencies. He holds two masters’ degrees, one in business administration and the other in education administration, with a variety of post-graduate and professional certifications, including project management, labor relations, human resource management, real estate, leadership, and licensing as an emergency medical technician. Additionally, Kurt was a founding member of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and continues to donate time to provide medical services on rare occasions. Excerpted from the Stockton, California, website: http://www.stocktongov.com/government/departments/manager/manager.html

What is ICMA Recognition?

ICMA Recognition is formal acknowledgement by the ICMA Executive Board and membership that a local government has established an executive, chief appointed officer position--such as a professional city, town, or county manager--and granted that position certain authorities and responsibilities.
 

How long does ICMA Recognition last?

Recognition lasts as long as the legal basis establishing the position of professional management remains unchanged. A change in managers does not affect the recognition status of the local government; a change in the form of government does.
 

What kind of local governments are eligible for ICMA Recognition?

Any general purpose city, town, village, township, borough, or county that has established by legal documents a form of government that satisfies the ICMA recognition criteria is eligible for either Council-Manager or General-Management recognition. Additionally, a council of government, special district, or state/provincial association of local governments may be eligible for general-management recognition.

What is the basis for ICMA Recognition?

Compliance with the ICMA Recognition criteria is the basis. Evidence of meeting the criteria is either an ordinance, resolution, charter, special act of the state legislature, or another legal document establishing a position of professional management.

What kinds of ICMA Recognition are there?

ICMA recognition falls into two categories: council-manager (CM) and general management (GM). The criteria for council-manager recognition are less flexible than those for the general management category because of the historical significance and nature of the council-manager form. ICMA's origins are based on the council-manager form, and although the organization recognizes professional management in all local government structures, we believe that the council-manager form is the best vehicle for ensuring a community's successful management.

Councils of governments and state/provincial associations of local governments are always recognized under the GM criteria; local governments may be recognized under either CM or GM criteria, depending upon their individual features.

How can local governments apply for ICMA Recognition?

Local governments interested in obtaining ICMA Recognition must complete and submit an application package. Once all pertinent information has been submitted, the application is reviewed based on the specifics of the ICMA Council-Manager (CM) or General Management (GM) recognition criteria, and a preliminary determination is made as to which criteria is most appropriate.

What happens after recognition?

The local government is listed in ICMA's Directory of Recognized Local Governments as a jurisdiction that provides for a position of professional management. 

Criteria for Recognition of a Council-Manager Position

(Adopted October 11, 1969, and revised July 22, 1989)

Appointment

The manager can be appointed by the majority vote of the council for a definite or indefinite term and must be subject to termination by a majority vote of the council at any time.

Guideline

It is recognized that the process for appointing the manager may include participation by others, in nominating or recommending candidates to be considered.   However, the final responsibility or authority of appointment as well as dismissal of the manager must lie with a majority of the council.

Policy Formulation

The position should have direct responsibility for policy formulation on overall problems.

Guideline

Final authority for policy formulation rests with the council, but the manager should play an integral role in developing and analyzing alternatives for the council’s consideration and be responsible for implementation of council-approved policy.

Budget

The manager should be designated by legislation as having responsibility for preparation of the budget, presentation to the council, and direct responsibility for the administration of the council-approved budget.

Guideline

While the manager should have responsibility for preparing and presenting the budget to the council, it is recognized that many parties often participate in the budget process and may contribute to the development of the manager’s recommended budget.  Once approved by council, the manager is responsible for implementing and administering the budget.

Appointing Authority

Legislation should delegate full authority to the manager for the appointment and removal of at least most of the heads of the principal departments and functions of the local government.

Guideline

The manager’s ability to independently select the most qualified personnel for key department head positions and remove them when necessary is essential to his or her administrative effectiveness.  Within this context, it is recognized that a manager may choose to consult with and seek consensus from council on the appointment and dismissal of key department heads. 

Though the preferred arrangement is for the manager to have independent authority to appoint and remove key department heads, recognition in the C-M category will also be extended to those communities in which council is given the authority by legislation to confirm, validate, or ratify such personnel actions, as long as responsibility for recommending them remains with the manager.

Organizational Relationships

The department heads the manager appoints should be designated by legislation as administratively responsible to the manager.

Qualifications

Qualifications for the position should be based on the educational and administrative background of the candidates.

Guideline

Appointment to the manager’s position should be based on professional experience, administrative qualifications, and education to ensure that the community is served by a competent, well-trained professional.  Political affiliations should not in any way influence appointment.

Recognition of a General Management Position

(Adopted April 19, 1969, and revised July 22, 1989)

Appointment

The position should be filled by appointment made by an elected representative or representatives and shall be responsible to an elected representative and/or representatives.

Guideline

Overall management is the link between the political leadership and program execution.  It is essential that the person filling the position of overall management be appointed by and responsible for the legislative body or the chief elected official of the local government.

Policy Formulation

(Same as for council-manager position.)

Guideline

The position of overall management is responsible for creative initiative in the development of public policy alternatives and recommendations for consideration by elected officials throughout the spectrum of the local government’s functions.  Responsibility for policy formulation means that the person in the position has access to the council and works with its members even though s/he may report directly to the mayor.  In the case of a council-appointed administrator, his/her access should be direct.

Budget

The position should have major responsibility for the preparation and administration of the operating and capital improvements budget.

Guideline

Both elements should be present because it is through the administration of the operating budget that basic management control is exercised, and it is the budget preparation process that concerns itself with resource use.  The term “major responsibility” refers to appointed positions and not elected positions.  This may become critical in evaluating the work of a mayor-appointed administrator.

Appointing Authority

The position should exercise significant influence in the appointment of key administrative personnel.

Guideline

The direct or legal appointive power will vary considerably.  The fact that the position may have authority only to recommend the appointment of department heads should not in and of itself exclude the local government from recognition.  Neither is there any fixed formula as to which or how appointments may be influenced.

It will be necessary to view this in the context of the position’s total responsibility, particularly for the budget process.  It is important that the position should have authority to appoint a sufficient share of the management staff to control budget preparation and administration.

Organizational Relationships

The position should have a continuing direct relationship with the operating department heads on the implementation and administration of the programs.

Guideline

It is important that the position be recognized within the local government organization as the principal general management professional.  The relationship is most clear if the position has direct supervision of department heads.  The real issue, however, is the day-in and day-out influence the position has over department heads.  At a minimum, it should be expected that overall management responsibility includes the status of first peer among administrative peers in a horizontal organization.

Qualifications

(Same as for council-manager position.)

Guideline

This criterion simply means that the person should be chosen on merit and that s/he should have significant administrative experience and educational background.  It excludes the strictly “political” appointment.  It does not mean, however, that the person must have local government experience per se.

Downloads

ICMA Recognition Application (415.57 KB)

By supporting a community-led initiative, the city of Greensboro, N.C., revamped its budgetary process and ignited engagement in the community.

What does a city do when its residents propose an alternative way of engaging them in the local government budget process? The city of Greensboro, North Carolina (pop. 287,027), had to answer that question when Participatory Budgeting Greensboro (PB GSO), a coalition of community members, urged the city to pass a resolution that would allow participatory budgeting.

ICMA Member and Greensboro Budget Director Larry Davis explained that for many residents, the existing budget process was “too complex and intimidating for most people to want to engage in, and residents felt that participatory budgeting would allow them to talk about relative priorities of different projects and participate at a closer-to-the-street level.” 

At the core of participatory budgeting is resident engagement and a democratic process for enabling residents to help determine how public funds are spent. The Greensboro staff was confronted not only with implementing this new strategy but with determining how to engage the community in a very different way.

After a year of discussion, the Greensboro City Council passed a resolution in 2014, and the city became the first in the southeast U.S. to launch a test of participatory budgeting. Most of the city council members believed that if the participatory budgeting process “helped residents feel like their local government was a little less alien and distant,” it was worth the city’s time and effort. 

With $500,000 allocated by the city council and additional support from the community, the Greensboro budget office staff and PB GSO representatives came together to develop an participatory budget process and implementation strategy for the 2017-18 fiscal year.

The city collaborated with Participatory Budget Project staff, who shared engagement best practices from other partner cities, while city staff shared their knowledge of the community. When combined, this information helped shape a new way of looking at community engagement.  

The city recruited volunteers, mostly from local high schools and universities, to attend meetings and educate residents on the process and their role, and to assist at voting events and with project research. City staff also began working with local social organizations, hosting pop-up meetings and “tabling” at community-wide events.

Through this high level of engagement, the initial call for submissions yielded 675 suggestions from residents and over 1,000 participants in the process. Over the last two cycles, the winning projects have included new bus shelters, revamped playgrounds, greenways, and crosswalks.

FY2015-16 PB Cycle Results
Dozens of community volunteers spent hundreds of hours over a six-month period to make the first participatory budgeting process a success. City staff worked closely with community volunteers to review and vet the project submissions. More than 2,000 hours of staff time were devoted to supporting the Greensboro PB process.

The FY 2015-16 PB Cycle 1 ran from September 2015 to May 2016, with 26 winning projects funded in FY 2016-17. PB projects receiving the most votes per district were submitted to city council on June 7, 2016, for inclusion in the FY 2016-17 budget. Project funding became available July 1, 2016, the first day of the fiscal year. More than 1,100 Greensboro residents age 14 and older representing all five council districts and diverse populations within the community voted in Greensboro’s first PB process, which was held in April 2016. The ballots resulted in 46 projects based on ideas submitted by residents. This Phase 1 Evaluation highlights key elements of participation.

FY2017-18 PB Cycle Idea Collection
During the Greensboro PB Cycle 2, residents identified projects to be funded during the 2018-19 fiscal year. The idea collection phase of the Greensboro PB Cycle 2 took place between April and May 2017 and resulted in the submission of 388 ideas, 55 outreach sessions, and engagement with 1,907 residents. Budget delegates vetted proposals and developed 41 ideas to put before voters during the voting period, which ran from March to November 2017.

Nearly 1,200 residents cast ballots, and the process resulted in 25 projects—ranging from installing new playground equipment in Apache Street Park to installing a solar charging station at Peeler Recreation Center—that were submitted to the city manager for inclusion in the FY2018-19 budget, which begins July 1, 2018. Here’s a complete list of the Cycle 2 winning projects.

Learn more about Greensboro’s Participatory Budget Process here.