Democratic engagement is the practice of engaged citizenship through democratic mechanisms and principles. As part of the IGND, the City intends to extend democratic engagement via innovative education, communications and budgetary processes.
OUR INTERPRETATION
In May, the City launched the Sustainability and Climate Justice Committee, an advisory group and conduit between residents and the City. The City has also contracted with Cornell Cooperative Extension to conduct Town Halls, affording City residents the opportunity to ask questions and learn about electrification. We see these as evidence of the City’s desire to include residents in the IGND. However, the City has not made the progress needed to satisfy second sub-goal of developing a Participatory Budget process and we are concerned it risks achieving Common Council approval by November 2023.