2nd District Community Budget – LA County Supervisor Holly J. Mitchell

Following the success of the first-ever participatory budget pilot program in Ladera Heights and Florence-Firestone, the Office of Supervisor Holly J. Mitchell is proud to announce the expansion of the 2nd District Community Budget program to the unincorporated communities of Willowbrook and Athens-Westmont allocating a total of $1.45 million.

APPLY TO JOIN THE ADVISORY COMMITTEE

2nd District Community Budget Willowbrook Map

What is a Participatory Budget?

Participatory budgeting or PB is a democratic and inclusive process that invites community members to directly influence and decide how a public budget will be allocated. PB is an approach to public engagement that puts real decision-making power over real money directly into the hands of residents. With community leadership and engaging outreach events, PB offers community members the opportunity to determine how to spend County budget dollars to create changes that they want to see in their neighborhood.

Participatory Budget Process outlined in steps

Apply to Join the Advisory Committee

We’re seeking community members to join the Advisory Committee, which includes seats for youth (ages 16 – 22) and older adults (ages 55+).

Advisory Committee members will receive a stipend for their work and aim to ensure equitable representation for communities facing civic engagement barriers, such as Black, Indigenous, People of Color, Immigrants, refugees, youth and persons with disabilities.

Apply by Friday, September 18 11:59 pm.

Advisory Committee Requirements:

Must live in Willowbrook or Athens-Westmont
Steering Committee members will be paid a stipend
Must be able to meet virtually 2 times a month for 2 hours minimum

APPLY TO JOIN THE ADVISORY COMMITTEE

Upcoming Virtual Information Sessions

Learn about the various ways you can engage, including joining the Advisory Committee, supporting with outreach and promotion, and gaining insights into the overall participatory budget process.

Join An Upcoming Info Session

Wednesday, September 16 at 6:00 pm

REGISTER HERE

Become A Community Engagement Partner

The 2nd District Community Budget project is inviting community-based organizations on the opportunity to lead outreach and engagement efforts across two unincorporated neighborhoods, Willowbrook and Athens-Westmont. Selected organizations will receive funds to provide outlets for community members to participate in this process by brainstorming and proposing project ideas and voting on the ballot to determine which projects will be funded and implemented in their community.

Application coming soon!

SIGN-UP FOR NOTIFICATIONS

Activities funded through this program may include but are not limited to educational events, canvassing or phone banking campaigns, informational tabling, digital outreach campaigns, or other outreach initiatives that will enable community members to decide how to spend a total of $1.45 million between Willowbrook and Athens-Westmont.

FAQ's

The Advisory Committee is composed of local residents who help develop and weigh-in on recommendations for initiatives and improvements in their communities. Those recommendations will ultimately be put to a vote by their fellow neighbors.

The Advisory Committee will meet to design and decide the participatory budget process.
They will review and refine ideas submitted during the idea-gathering phase and work with County Departments and relevant organizations to estimate feasibility before presenting them for a vote.
Currently, the project aims to fund 3 community initiatives.

Everyone who applied will be notified about the status of their application and whether they were accepted or not. Email notifications are expected to start going out during the last week of September to the first week of October.

The program receives its funding from discretionary funds. Discretionary funds are allocations that Board Supervisors can direct toward local community needs, non-profit organizations, or community projects. Funds are subject to annual budget decisions–typically based at the discretion of the Supervisorial Board. Supervisor Mitchell has allocated a total of $1.45 million to be invested in these communities via a participatory process.

The amounts are based on an equity-based formula and were decided based on population size, poverty index, and unemployment rate.

Residents will work separately based on their community. We will meet together in the same space as we go over information in general, but community members will be broken up and work separately based on their communities.

Advisory Committee Application, Eligibility, and Participation

Residents of Willowbrook and Athens-Westmont who are 16 years or older, including seniors, are strongly encouraged to apply to serve on the Advisory Committee. Residents of all identities, regardless of immigration status, gender or sexual identity, or race and ethnicity, are welcome to apply.

Advisory Committee members will receive $50 per meeting. Our partners, Tres Lunas Consulting, will manage payments for Advisory Committee members. Payments can be disbursed via check or direct deposit. Tax and banking related documents may be required for payment.

Advisory Committee members are anticipated to meet virtually weekly for 2 hours in October and November for Guidebook workshops.
There will be one in-person meeting per phase.
The Advisory Committee will then meet every other week for continued phases.
There are 30 meetings expected overall.
The expected time commitment for advisory committee members is 9-months.
The approximate timeline extends from October 2026 through July 2027.

You can miss up to two meetings per phase. This is approximately a 9-month commitment and we understand that life happens and the need to take time off. For example, if you miss more than 2 meetings in the first phase, an alternate will be asked to take your place, but you will still be able to return and participate in upcoming phases.

Residents selected to become Advisory Committee members will be allowed to miss up to two meetings per phase. If you miss more than 2 meetings, an alternate community member who applied will be called in to take your place. When you apply and are selected, you will be able to let us know if you would like to be considered as an alternate member only, and we will honor your request.

Unincorporated Areas and Past Projects

This advisory committee specifically serves residents in Willowbrook and Athens-Westmont. However, the goal is to expand the initiative to serve more unincorporated communities of the Second District each year.

Through our pilot program in Florence-Firestone and Ladera Heights, residents were able to decide and implement projects such as:

Rental assistance support
Creating green spaces
Improvement projects
Career development opportunities and job fairs
Digital literacy workshops
Wellness activities for seniors

To learn more about the pilot program, visit Mitchell.LACounty.gov/CB-2023