SBO 2021: Voting postponed
Marta Kufel
Not as early as 1st December, but from Monday, 7th December (9.00 a.m.) to 21st December (also 9.00 a.m.), the Szczecin residents will be able to give their votes to this year’s Szczecin Civic Budget (SBO) projects.
The change of the date is related to the completion of the Friday meeting of the appeals team (composed of the residents of our city) scheduled for today, which discussed a controversial project after it had been negatively verified by the office and the evaluation team.
“Today at 5.30 p.m., the appeals team will meet again and we hope that it will decide on the future of the project”, said Magdalena Błaszczyk, Director of the Civic Dialogue Office. “There are two options available, either the project promoters’ appeal against the decision of the SBO Evaluation Team will be rejected, or the project will be submitted for re-examination at the office”.
Regardless of the team’s decision, the City Hall needs some time to prepare the final voting list. Postponing the deadline also gives other project promoters extra time to advertise their ideas.
“We are aware that in recent weeks the public debate has been dominated by the topic of one project” added Magdalena Błaszczyk. “This is certainly a difficult situation for the rest, who also deserve attention because of the quality and amount of work put into creating their ideas. So, we hope that those extra days will be effectively used both by all project promoters to attract others to their projects, and by residents to learn about them”.
“Heading North” before the Appeals Team decision.
We would like to remind you that the Civic Dialogue Office of the City of Szczecin, as the coordinator of the consultation process of the Szczecin Civic Budget, has changed the initial positive evaluation; therefore, the project “Heading North – the Bismarck Tower, Tilebein Park, the Wodna Water Watchtower, the View Trail” now has a negative status. The Evaluation Team has made a similar decision.
The decisions are related to the following job offer that appeared on a social media website: “JOB - COLLECTING SIGNATURES. The job consists in collecting signatures in Szczecin using tablets. You are required to collect votes from 42 people daily. We offer PLN 3.00 for one vote per person.
(...) if you collect 42 votes faster, you can finish your work after 4 hours or earn more (...)
(...) the more you collect, the more you earn (...)
(...) The votes concern: the development of the area around the Bismarck Tower, the revitalization of the Tilebein Park, the construction of the Wodna Water Watchtower, the creation of the Northern View Trail, the creation of the Family Clearing of Princess Dąbrówka (..)”.
Information on the date of the next Appeals Team meeting was published on konsultuj.szczecin.pl, in the tab “Consultations with inhabitants” (Konsultacje z mieszkańcami)/ “Szczecin Civic Budget” (Szczeciński Budżet Obywatelski)/ “Opinion and Appeals Team” (Zespół Opiniujący i Odwoławczy).
