Why Is the Enthusiasm for Resident Participation Budget in Jung-gu in 2022 So High?

1156 Resident Proposals Estimated Budget 41.1 Billion KRW, 18.4% Increase from Previous Year (976 Proposals, 29.8 Billion KRW)... 4-Month Intensive Submission Period from February to May, Active Promotion, Diversification of Resident Proposal Channels

Gwanghui-dong Our Neighborhood Academy

[Asia Economy Reporter Jongil Park] Jung-gu, Seoul (Mayor Seoyangho) announced on the 8th that despite the difficulties in face-to-face promotion due to COVID-19, a total of 1,156 resident proposals amounting to 41.1 billion KRW were received for next year's Dong Resident Participatory Budget contest.

Jung-gu, which was the first in the nation to establish the Dong government department in 2019 and transferred 77 tasks and budget drafting authority from the district office to the Dong Community Center, allocated 13.8 billion KRW this year as the Dong Resident Participatory Budget.

This budget allocation is outstanding compared to other local governments where the resident participatory budget averages between 1 billion and 3 billion KRW.

The resident proposals for deciding next year's Dong Resident Participatory Budget projects were collected over four months from February 1 to May 31.

As a result, a total of 1,156 proposals with an estimated budget requirement of 41.1 billion KRW were received, including 168 proposals in the road facilities sector and 165 in the cultural life sector, marking an 18.4% increase compared to the previous year (976 proposals, 29.8 billion KRW).

This enthusiastic participation is analyzed to be the result of newly organized proposal and review processes designed to overcome limitations encountered during the resident participatory budget promotion process.

First, to expand resident participation, the district extended the contest period from the previous one month in September to a concentrated period from February to May, aligning with the city participatory budget schedule, thus providing residents with a sufficient four-month proposal period.

Additionally, diversification of channels considering COVID-19 played a role. Projects were promoted through Dong resident group bands, KakaoTalk chat rooms, and SNS, and information was provided to various clubs, small groups, and association members. Promotional videos were also produced and distributed to attract residents' interest.

Proposal methods were expanded to allow easy participation by anyone through the district office website, mail, in-person applications, text message submissions, and by installing suggestion boxes at Dong Community Centers, welfare centers, parks, and other multi-use facilities.

Moreover, the Dong Resident Participatory Budget Committee held multiple non-face-to-face meetings by subcommittee, playing a significant role in project discovery.

This year's resident participatory budget contest projects were submitted across diverse fields without concentration in specific areas, with the most proposals in the order of road facilities, culture and lifestyle, parks and green spaces, vulnerable groups and elderly welfare, transportation facilities, and cleaning administration.

Notably, projects reflecting the characteristics of each Dong attracted attention. These included the "Win-Win Hotel Vacation" project for revitalizing commercial districts with many lodging businesses, creation of smoke-free zones around elementary schools, and separate recycling bins for one-room apartment residents?varied and in-depth proposals that local residents can directly experience.

In the next 30 days, thorough and substantive project reviews will be conducted by the responsible departments regarding legal and ordinance violations, effectiveness, and feasibility. Afterwards, the results will be posted on each Dong’s website for public viewing.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.