GREENSBORO, N.C. — Greensboro moved voting for the Participatory Budget online this year, and the results were staggering. A total 11,206 votes were tallied. All that amounts to several new projects around the city for the 2020-2021 fiscal year.
Let's start with the big winner across the board, a downtown weekend trolley pilot program. This idea alone got 2,717 votes, and all five districts approved. Each district will pitch in $18,000 for a grand total of a $90,000 price tag. Keep in mind, this is just a pilot program. Greensboro will test it out for a year, and then see how everyone feels about it then.
Now let's go district by district, taking you through each winning project:
District 1
- The Glenwood Library charging station got 288 votes; the most in the district. The project to charge phones at the library will cost $4,500.
- Hampton Park playground improvements and planning got 239 votes. The upgrades will cost $31,000.
- Old Peck Park bicycle racks and planning got 237 votes with a price tag at $12,000.
- Greentree Park upgrades and planning got 233 votes. The upgrades include handicap access improvements and new basketball goals for the basketball court. The project costs $22,000.
- Steelman Park also got its upgrades approved with 196 votes. The price tag is $12,500 pays for access improvements and a playground. Though the money is only half of what was requested.
District 2
- The Career Technical Education Youth Training Program got the most votes with 345. $15,000 pays for software and the VR equipment.
- A Chavis Library bus shelter on S. Benbow Road will cost $6,000. The idea brought in 334 votes.
- Composting education and a Farmers Market pilot program were both approved for Keeley Park. It got 263 votes, and it will cost $25,000.
- Kings Forest Park will move its playground to a safer spot. This project will cost $36,000 dollars. 227 votes were tallied.
Quick break! Greensboro Parks and Rec posted a video about the winning projects on their Facebook page. Check it out.
District 3
- Lake Daniel Park gets a picnic area and trash bins off Mimosa Drive for $10,000. The project tallied 821 votes.
- An upgrade to half a mile of the Bog Garden Boardwalk was approved with 787 votes. This one costs $50,000.
- Fisher Park will get new signs to show people when the park opens and closes. The idea tallied 723 votes, and they'll get $22,000.
District 4
- The project to improve safety at Sunset Hills Park was the big winner, grabbing 1,054 votes. Crews will clear trees that could be a danger to folks in the park. The project costs $8,000.
- More help was approved for Sunset Hills Park. A brand new crosswalk will go in between the park and Market Street. It got 680 votes and will cost $21,500.
- Another crosswalk project was approved. This one is at Chapman Street and Sylvan Road near Our Lady of Grace Church. They'll remove the old markings and install ramps to improve handicap access. It got 573 votes and will cost $15,000.
- The Lindley Park Pool will get some upgrades, specifically in its locker room. The project got 418 votes, and it will get $37,500 in funding, only a portion of the $70,000 initially requested.
District 5
- Random Woods Park will get upgrades to its basketball goals, plus they'll put in a story walk. This was the top-voted project in the district with 400 votes. It will cost $10,000.
- Griffin Community Park will get several upgrades including fencing around the pond, new landscaping and accessories at the dog park. for the price of $40,000. The project tallied 366 votes.
- Hester Park will get an art mural. 305 votes came in for this idea, and it will cost $30,000.
You may have noticed some projects only got a portion of the funding requested. The City of Greensboro says staff evaluated whether the project could be partially completed with the remaining money.
The next steps? The approved projects and their plans will go to the city manager for inclusion in the budget for the 2020-2021 fiscal year, which begins on July 1, 2020.