Ideas made real – Porvoo to implement 12 ideas suggested by citizens during the rest of the year
The voting for the first round of participatory budgeting in Porvoo has concluded. Based on the voting results, Porvoo municipality is implementing 12 ideas during the rest of the year 2023. The estimation of total costs for implementation is 39 800 euros.
The proposal with the most votes was the idea ‘’Disco for adults and young people with intellectual disabilities’’. The implementation of this idea will cost around 500 euros, and the idea garnered 392 votes.
The most expensive idea to be implemented is the ‘’Delightful Porvoo’’ set with frame. The implementation is estimated to cost 15 000 euros, and the idea garnered 139 votes.
The last idea to be implemented is an idea named ‘’Respite’’, where seats from decayed wood and boulders are placed along the walking path in Karjalaiskylä. This idea will cost about 1000 euros to implement.
Ideas to be implemented during the rest of the year, with costs and amount of votes:
- Disco for young people and adults with developmental disabilities (500 €)392 votes
- Christmas spirit in the City Park (1500 €)339 votes
- Wellbeing for parents and young children in Porvoo (3000 €)224 votes
- Sledging slide for Näsi (5000 €)216 votes
- Swimsuit drying machine for public swimming pools (5000 €)189 votes
- A bench at Gammelbacka marina (1000 €)155 votes
- Mobilisation of city officials (1000 €)154 votes
- Plant cutting exchange (1000 €)147 votes
- ‘Lovely Porvoo’ photo backdrop (15000 €)139 votes
- Outdoor chess in the yard of Keskuskoulu School (2000 €)138 votes
- Seats from wood blocks and boulders along the Karjalaiskylä pedestrian path (1000 €)
Over a thousand voters cast a total of about 4000 votes
The participatory budget voting included 32 idea proposals. Before the selection the amount of idea proposals was almost 400. Each voter was tasked with allocating 40 000 euros between different ideas. Thus, a single voter could vote for multiple idea proposals.
– The voters have been active, and all ideas have received their fair share of votes. The most popular idea proposal garnered almost 400, while the proposal with the least number of votes garnered almost 40, says Inclusion Coordinator Maija Eklöf.
– Now we get to implement a lot of ideas that will enhance the lives of citizens. The planning of implementation starts immediately, while the implementation itself will happen during the rest of the year. Information about individual implementations is provided through the municipality’s social media and notices. When all ideas have been implemented, a summary will be made about the implementations and sites, Eklöf says.
The municipality’s experts are aware of all the idea proposals submitted during the participatory budgeting process, and they will be considered when planning and implementing additional services.
The participatory budgeting process to be developed for the next round
The participatory budgeting trial was carried out within a strict timetable, in under half a year.
– We want to once again thank each and every citizen for their participation in both the ideation and voting. Through the process we have gathered loads of information about what citizens want to see in Porvoo. On the municipality’s end, dozens of experts have worked hard evaluation ideas and developing the process, says Administrative Director Roope Lenkkeri.
– The process has been a success for the most part. Of course, improvements can be made for the next round, for instance with regards to equality in the evaluation process as well as the combining and handling of ideas. The idea proposals need to be as intact as possible for the voting, but at the same time their eligibility for implementation must be assured already during the development phase. The combining of ideas was also a bit unclear, since only the main idea was submitted for voting, while the other, similar proposals were shown as rejected.
The next round of participatory budgeting is planned for the start of next year.
