City council is moving ahead with their ambitious goal of creating the city’s first multi-year budget, and is still looking for public input. The city held their second consultation workshop at Goodwill services on Wednesday. The 2 hour session was kicked off with opening remarks by Mayor Matt Brown, followed by a short seminar on municipal economics, and then an open house forum with interactive workshops and displays.
But despite the attempt at engagement, Londoners seemed disengaged, with about only half of the available seating being filled. But some city officials aren’t to concerned with the low turn out.
“I think there is a lot of individuals who…are choosing to give input via email, via Facebook, via twitter and via our budget calculator” says Jon Paul McGonigle. McGonigle is a project manager with the city and believes that the low turn out was because more people are comfortable with the direction council is heading, and that city’s strategic plan has done well to accommodate the public.
“We hope that what has been proposed has reflected [public] input, and maybe that’s why it was a little quieter this year” says McGonigle
McGonigle adds that he is encouraged by the increased use of the city’s budget calculator website.
