98 Citizen Proposals Submitted
Budget Reflecting Citizen Input to Be Actively Incorporated into Municipal Administration
On October 24, the city of Gumi, North Gyeongsang Province, held a regular meeting of the Resident Participatory Budgeting Committee at the Saemaul Undong Theme Park Training Center to review citizen-proposed projects for the participatory budgeting program.
The participatory budgeting system allows residents to directly participate in the budget formulation process, thereby enhancing transparency and democracy in municipal administration.
Since enacting an ordinance in 2012, Gumi has maintained a foundation for residents to directly participate in the municipal budget for 14 consecutive years as of this year.
This year, from March to September, the city conducted a public call for citizen-proposed projects for the 2026 fiscal year, receiving a total of 98 proposals.
Notably, there was significant participation from both youth and senior citizens, with many proposals closely related to daily life, such as expanding youth sports facilities, creating safer routes home, implementing career mentoring programs, and extending pedestrian signal times at crosswalks for the elderly and vulnerable.
About 50 resident participatory budgeting committee members attended the meeting and engaged in in-depth discussions on the necessity and feasibility of the projects, as well as the possibility of budget allocation.
The selected projects will undergo further review regarding budget inclusion and funding amounts, and will be incorporated into Gumi's 2026 budget proposal. Final inclusion in next year's budget will be determined through deliberation and approval by the city council.
About 50 residents' participatory budgeting committee members attended and engaged in in-depth discussions on the necessity and validity of the project, as well as the possibility of budget inclusion. Photo by Lee Ihwan
Lee Jeonggon, Chair of the Resident Participatory Budgeting Committee, said, "I would like to thank the committee members for participating in the development of our community despite their busy schedules," and added, "I hope that citizens' proposals will be actively reflected and realized as Gumi's policies."
A Gumi city official stated, "The culture of residents proposing and discussing the budget is gradually spreading," and added, "We will continue to pursue participatory financial management that citizens can truly experience."
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