Rock Island Wants Your Opinion On How To Spend $50,000 In The West End

If you had $50,000, what would you do to revitalize the city?

The Martin Luther King Jr. Center is inviting the community to a special meeting on Tuesday, June 24th, from 5:00 to 7:00 PM at 630 9th Street in Rock Island, where West End Revitalization coordinators will collect community input for a participatory budgeting process currently underway, as well as share progress and next steps.

Where Did The Money For Rock Island Come From?

The West End Revitalization has secured $50,000 in philanthropic funds for participatory budgeting. This spring, students at Thurgood Marshall Learning Center went through a process of collecting ideas, developing proposals, and voting on how to spend $10,000.

This summer, a Steering Committee representing the West End community is convening to guide a process for the community to decide how to spend $40,000. Steering Committee members will be present on June 24th and will facilitate idea collection with people who live, work, play, or are otherwise connected to the West End of Rock Island.

“This is an exciting opportunity for community members to have a voice in how funds are spent,” said Virginia Jarrett, West End Revitalization Coordinator at the MLK Center. “This is about involving everyone in the process, and making sure the revitalization reflects the needs and aspirations of the people who live here.”

“We intend for participatory budgeting to expand to larger amounts in the future,” said Mrs. Jarrett. “For now, we are working hard to create a process that we can replicate moving forward.”

Get our free mobile app

The West End Revitalization is a long-term community-driven effort focused on making the West End of Rock Island a preferred place to live, work, and thrive. Using the Collective Impact model, the initiative seeks to bring sustainable improvements to the area, enhance local amenities, support economic growth, and provide a vibrant, inclusive environment for all residents.