Participatory Budgeting: deepening democracy and public works together with residents
In the Gobernador Cresto neighborhood, the Mayor delivered the materials and items chosen by the residents themselves through the Participatory Budgeting program, which will allow them to improve their living conditions. A new public transport passenger shelter was also opened, which was part of the projects that the residents themselves developed and defined as important, among other improvements.
"We worked in several meetings, many people participated, there were elections and by a wide majority, almost unanimously, these three projects were chosen, which Mayor Enrique Cresto is now carrying out," indicated the Director of Participatory Budgeting, Laura Gervasi. The installation of 4 waste containers and a bus stop at the corner of Boulevard Ayuí and Lieberman were two of the voted proposals.
"This is a neighborhood where most of the residents have lived for many years, with a great sense of belonging," observes Gervasi. Therefore, a third voted project consisted of paint. "They only asked us for the paint, because they want to take charge of beautifying their neighborhood themselves, and that is very important, because it reinforces the importance of this Participatory Budgeting program," the official highlighted.
In this sense, Mayor Cresto, who toured the neighborhood together with the Secretary of Public Works and Services, Jorge Mendieta, and the residents after delivering the materials and items, stressed the importance "of this system, which involves the residents, which makes them protagonists of the improvements we are making in the neighborhood." And he did not hesitate to point out that "this program complements the actions that the municipality carries out throughout the city."
"Just as we have worked to install a police station nearby in the Los Pájaros neighborhood, the Cepla was installed, housing and important infrastructure works are being carried out throughout this area through the Promeba, in addition to street maintenance work, we decided to strengthen the program, to allocate more funds to Participatory Budgeting, so that it is the residents themselves who establish the priorities of what is needed, because who better than each person to know what their neighborhood, their block, their neighbor needs most," expressed Cresto.
It should be noted that through the Participatory Budgeting Program, residents in different neighborhoods have chosen to carry out, throughout these two years of administration, "the drilling of wells to supply water, multi-purpose halls, street signs, or waste baskets," the municipal president pointed out, giving some examples.
Silvia Patricia Sandoval, a resident of the Gobernador Cresto neighborhood, expressed her joy because "now we have the containers, the bus stop we needed so much, and the paint. We wanted this, to fix and take care of our neighborhood ourselves; with this help from the municipality, we will be able to do it," she said. When asked about the Participatory Budgeting experience, the resident commented that "it was very good, to be able to talk and decide among everyone what was most important. I am very happy and we want to thank (Mayor) Enrique Cresto, because many things are being done and now these things as well," she expressed.