Description
The project ‘Citizens’ Budget for Zakopane: Let’s Choose Together’ is implemented in partnership with local government and is intended to create a mechanism for involving community members in development policy. We will invite people at the age of 16+ to take part in public consultations, submitting project proposals, voting on projects presented in the participatory budget, and allocating local government funds for 2014-2015. The project will help to promote initiatives proposed by residents and to control decisions on both ‘hard’ projects such as infrastructure (building pavements, roads, traffic lights, playgrounds etc.) and ‘soft’ ones (festivals, cultural events, promotion of active lifestyle and sports etc.). In addition, the project has an element of capacity building. The aim is to promote in the local community the mechanism of 1% tax deduction for the association and to purchase essential office equipment.
Summary of project results
"In Zakopane, many investments could not be financed from the town budget. The inhabitants encountered a problem of the lack of their broader participation in decisions concerning the budget, and thus the development of their localities. The town councillors representing the inhabitants were not able to prevent a situation where localities situated far from the town centre were ignored in the town budget. Discussions led during town council meetings on how to reconcile the interests of different localities in budget planning brought no satisfactory solutions for the majority of the town inhabitants. The aim of the project was to enhance the quality of life for inhabitants of Zakopane through inducing the local authorities to regulate the procedures for social consultations and initiating the civil budget. In this way, inhabitants started to be included in the decision-making processes concerning new investments in the town. As a result of implementation of the project, the town authorities realised that inhabitants are very much interested in participating in decision-taking on matters concerning development of the town. The Town Council adopted the rules and methods for conducting social consultations, also the awareness of inhabitants of Zakopane on their ability to participate in decision-making processes was enhanced. Under the project, a social campaign was conducted on introducing the Civil Budget (banners, leaflets and posters). Consultation meetings were organised with inhabitants on the process, resulting in conducting two votes under the 2012 Civil Budget for Zakopane. The project benefited the inhabitants of Zakopane aged over 16. Through cooperation with the Town Hall in Zakopane, the Bureau of Promotion of Zakopane and the Centre for Formation and Trainings in Zakopane, the long awaited mechanism of the Civil Budet was started that is so important for the development of civil society."
Summary of bilateral results