Freehold Boro Participatory Budgeting Results Available Next Week

FREEHOLD, NJ - Freehold Borough residents will soon learn how their neighbors voted on how $200,000 taxpayer dollars will be spent in the municipality.

The annual borough-wide initiative - now in its fourth year - is aimed at giving residents as young as 14 a say in the local budget.

The 2020 vote ended last week, and the vote count began Nov. 30. Results will be announced during the next borough council meeting on Dec. 7.

The submissions, which must all consist of a community-oriented end goal and serve the public for at least five years, were reviewed by a committee earlier this year. The board then selects 10 projects that are voted on by citizens for the top three. The final choices are then voted on by the borough council.

The total allocated funds for the projects is $200,000, which serves as part of the borough’s $1 million capital improvement plan, according to the Asbury Park Press. Last year’s vote saw four projects emerge, all falling below the $200,000 maximum.

Related: New Bridge Added To Popular Freehold Fishing Spot

This year’s election proposed 10 projects, including traffic light generators, an electronic information billboard, Jackson Road speed bumps, an ADA-approved fishing pier at Lake Topanemus, benches and tables at Lake Topanemus and ADA-approved playground equipment at Veterans Park.

Freehold Borough was the first municipality in the Garden State to utilize participatory budgeting, which is now practiced in West Orange and Neptune City, according to the Press.

Monday’s Freehold Borough council meeting is set for 7 p.m. and will be held via web conference. To access the meeting, click here.