The City of Edinburgh Council is currently reviewing how it distributes the Community Grant fund monies. There is a survey to be completed by 4 May (Yes – tomorrow! – please fill it in NOW!).  We are told that “the status quo is not an option”. There are basically 3 options offered, but there is also space for you to say what other issues you think are important and changes you might like to see made to the options currently on offer.

If you don’t like the Leith Chooses model (participatory budgeting), then it’s easy – choose Option A. But if you DO like (even just some aspects of) the Leith Chooses model (even though it may not be perfect), please fill in the survey to say so. It is quite hard to figure out all the implications of Option B and C. NEITHER of them reflect exactly what happens at the moment, and choosing either of them would see Leith Chooses  – if it continues at all – lose a significant amount of support (financial and in terms of Council staff input), and possibly also lose the live Voting Day event. So please use the free text boxes to write in what you think is important about the current situation and what would make it better –  rather than just ticking the council’s questions and options.

Here is the link to the survey (it’s pretty short):  https://forms.office.com/e/E0PWGzEXFL

These are the options on offer

Option A
Who decides the funding criteria (what is most needed in the local area): Local ward councillors, community councillors and a funding panel of local residents.
Who decides which projects receive funding: A funding panel of up to 10 local residents (including young people and other underrepresented groups in the area). Every 3 years we will try to involve new voices so more people get a chance to have their say over time. 
How do they decide who receives funding: The panel members individually score funding applications based on what is most needed in the area, before coming together to discuss their scores and reach an agreement. 

Option B
Who decides the funding criteria (what is most needed in the local area): Local ward councillors and community councillors. 
Who decides which projects receive funding: Everyone who is part of the community. 
How do they decide who receives funding:  Everyone can vote online or by placing their votes in a ballot box in their nearest library. The projects with the most votes receive funding.

Option C
Who decides the funding criteria (what is most needed in the local area): Everyone in the community gets a say. 
Who decides which projects receive funding: Everyone who is part of the community. 
How do they decide who receives funding: Everyone can vote online or by placing their votes in a ballot box in their nearest library. In areas where there is interest, a local community group can receive support to run an in-person voting event similar to LeithChooses. The projects with the most votes receive funding.