Jelgava Municipality Starts Accepting Participatory Budgeting Ideas

The Jelgava Municipality has launched its annual call for project ideas under the participatory budgeting scheme. Residents are invited to submit their proposals until September 6 of this year. This year, the municipality has set aside €69,170 for the participatory budget.

To ensure a more even distribution of funds, the budget has been divided into four planning units: large, medium-large, medium-small, and small parishes. Each group will implement at least two projects that receive the most public support in a vote. Each planning unit is allocated €17,292, with a maximum of €8,646 per project.

The large parishes group includes Cenu and Ozolnieku parishes; medium-large – Glūdas, Jaunsvirlaukas, and Līvbērzes parishes; medium-small – Elejas, Kalnciema, Svētes, and Valgundes parishes; small – Lielplatones, Platones, Salgales, Sesavas, Vilces, Vircavas, and Zaļenieku parishes.

Project ideas may focus on improvements to publicly accessible areas, infrastructure enhancements, or various community activities such as events, training sessions, educational lectures, or recreational activities. Submitted projects must aim to improve the environment or public health, comply with the municipality's development planning documents, and not be commercially oriented. Additionally, their implementation must not impose disproportionate maintenance costs on the municipality.

Applications can be submitted electronically by logging into the participatory budgeting information system 'GeoLatvija.lv' under the 'Participatory Budget' section. Eligible applicants include individuals aged 16 or older, as well as associations or foundations in which the municipality has no stake. A commission appointed by the municipal council will evaluate compliance, and projects meeting the criteria will be put to a public vote.