Residents in Bordeaux and North Nashville have chosen to fund eight projects through the city’s first-ever participatory budgeting initiative, and Mayor John Cooper wants small business owners there to help make them a reality.
The mayor has called on Bordeaux and North Nashville’s business owners to register as Metro Nashville vendors and suppliers, to be ready for competitive procurement opportunities as these projects take shape.
“As we invest in our neighborhoods, particularly Bordeaux and North Nashville, we want business owners from these communities to be the suppliers, contractors, designers, and builders who help make these projects a reality,” Cooper said.
Mayor Cooper introduced participatory budgeting (used in cities across the U.S. and the world) to Nashville, with a $2 million investment in his FY2021 capital spending plan for projects in neighborhoods within districts 1, 2, 3, 19 and 21.
He renewed that commitment in his FY2022 capital budget and is already looking for a new group of resident volunteers to lead the 2022 process. Steering committee volunteers who helped lead the 2021 cycle strongly encouraged Metro efforts to partner with Bordeaux & North Nashville’s small businesses.
Participatory budgeting dollars come from the city’s capital budget. So, by law, they must be spent on infrastructure projects. But the initiative is one in a larger set of Bordeaux and North Nashville neighborhood investments, including:
- A new Fire Station No. 2
- Opening access to 53 acres of park space in Trinity Hills
- Maintenance and upgrades at 12 schools, including a new track at Hunters Lane High School
- New bus stops and shelters and road paving projects
- Stormwater mitigation projects
To learn more about participatory budgeting, including how to apply to help lead the 2022 cycle, visit <pb.nashville.gov>.
For a step-by-step guide to registering as a Metro vendor: go to <tinyurl.com/WorkWithMetro> or send questions to <iSupplier@nashville.gov>.
For questions about certification as a minority-owned, woman-owned, LGBTQ-owned, service disabled veteran-owned or Metro-approved small business, email <BAO@Nashville.gov>.
