Press Release: McNamara Proposes Democratic Reforms

From the Joe McNamara for Toledo City Council campaign:

McNamara Proposes Democratic Reforms to Strengthen Toledo
Council candidate supports Citizen Based Budgeting, establishment of a Citizens Academy

Toledo, OH – Toledo City Council candidate Joe McNamara will hold a press conference today, Thursday, September 28 at 2 PM in front of One Government Center in downtown Toledo to propose two initiatives aimed at empowering citizens.

McNamara is proposing that the city adopt a Citizen-Based Budgeting process and establish a Citizens Academy to train community leaders in the workings of city government.


“Citizen participation makes a city stronger and more resilient,” asserts McNamara. “We need a budget that reflects the real priorities of citizens rather than the special interests of political insiders.”

Citizen-Based Budgeting (CBB) is a process by which citizens have direct input in how their city develops its annual spending plan. Surveys and community forums are used to evaluate the quality of city services, identify citizens’ priorities, and educate the community about the budgeting process and any financial difficulties faced by the city. Davenport, Iowa has been using Citizen Based Budgeting since 2001.

A Toledo Citizen’s Academy would offer an annual class of approximately thirty citizens the opportunity to learn about the inner workings of the city and how to navigate the bureaucracy to improve our community. The course would help to better prepare citizens interested in serving on city boards and commissions and strengthen the volunteer leadership of neighborhood-based organizations such as Block Watch groups and community development corporations. Citizens Academies currently operate in communities such as Bloomington, Indiana and Greensboro, North Carolina.