Clarifying the Guarantee of Participation
for Socially Disadvantaged Groups and Youth
Significantly Expanding Resident Participation
from Budget Formulation to Execution and Settlement
The "Gumi City Resident Participatory Budget System Full Amendment Ordinance," proposed by Council Member Lee Jiyeon (Democratic Party of Korea, Yangpo-dong) of the Gumi City Council in North Gyeongsang Province, passed as originally drafted at the 287th 2nd plenary session.
The key aspect of this ordinance revision is the significant expansion of resident participation throughout the entire budget process, from formulation to execution and settlement. It also clearly stipulates the guarantee of participation by socially disadvantaged groups such as children, women, the elderly, people with disabilities, low-income individuals, and youth.
This ordinance was prepared based on last year's activities of the "Gumi City Resident Participatory Budget Activation Research Group" and includes numerous improvements aimed at transforming the previously formal operation of the resident participatory budget system into a structure that enables genuine participation.
The main contents include: ▲Establishing procedures for developing operational plans and collecting resident opinions (Articles 6 and 9) ▲Regulations on the formation and operation of the Resident Participatory Budget Committee (Articles 10 and 19) ▲Legal basis for establishing a research group on the participatory budget system (Article 20) ▲Provisions for rewarding participants (Article 23), among others.
Lee Jiyeon stated, "Through this ordinance revision, we have created a structure that allows for the incorporation of diverse citizen opinions in the budget process and enables meaningful participation from groups such as the socially disadvantaged and youth, who have previously found it difficult to participate. I hope that the resident participatory budget system will move beyond formal operation and serve as an opportunity to enhance transparency and fairness in local finances and to strengthen accountability in budget execution."
With this ordinance revision, Gumi City is expected to realize resident-centered administration and take a step closer to establishing a budget execution system that citizens can truly experience.
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