Vote on your favorite safe routes to school projects!

Help decide how to spend a budget of $1,000,000 in North Monterey County to make it safer for kids to get to and from schools.

Attend the Election Kickoff

Day of the Child

April 27th, 2025

1:00 pm – 5:00 pm

North Monterey County Middle School

10301 Seymour St, Castroville

Participatory Budgeting

Participatory Budgeting is a democratic process where North Monterey County residents or workers ages 12 years and older can vote on projects to make it safer for kids and families to get to and from school. The North Monterey County Safe Routes to School Steering committee was formed in September 2024 to design and implement the North Monterey County Participatory Budgeting process.

What is the Voting Process?

1. 1. Creating the Ballot – The North Monterey County Safe Routes to School Steering Committee, made up of residents and parents, developed a list of projects for the community to vote on.
   2. Election Kickoff – The Election will kick-off at Day of the Child on April 27th where the public can learn about the projects, ask questions, and vote.
   3. Voting – The public will be able to vote in the participatory budgeting election from April 27th to May 10th at in-person voting locations and online by clicking the button to the right.
   4. Election Results – The winning projects will be announced publicly in June 2025. Projects funded through the Participatory Budgeting process will begin implementation as soon as the project list is approved by the Monterey County Board of Supervisors and the TAMC Board of Directors.

What are the voting rules?

• • Voting is open to North County residents ages 12 and older, people who work in North County, and people whose children attend school in North County.
  • Only one ballot per person
  • You may vote for one priority project for each of the five communities
  • Ballots must be submitted by the end-of-day May 10th, 2025 to count

Learn about the projects on the ballot in the Gonzales Participatory Budgeting Voter Guide: English/Spanish

Frequently Asked Questions

What is participatory budgeting?

Participatory budgeting is a democratic process where community members decide how to spend part of a public budget. A Steering Committee was formed to design the election process. The participatory budgeting process is part of the North Monterey County Safe Routes to School Plan.

How do I vote?

You can vote in-person at the Election Kickoff on Sunday, April 27th from 1:00 – 5:00pm at North Monterey County Middle School or you can pick-up a ballot and cast your vote at one of the ballot drop-off locations [MAP LINK HERE]. You can also vote online [VOTE HERE]. Make sure to cast your vote before May 10th!

Who is eligible to vote?

North County residents ages 12 and older, people who work in North County, and people whose children attend school in North County are eligible to vote in the participatory budgeting election. You do not have to show ID to vote.

How can I learn more about the projects?

You can learn more about the projects on the ballot at the Election Kickoff on Sunday, April 27th from 1:00 – 5:00 pm at Dia del Nino at North Monterey County Middle School in Castroville. You can also learn more about the projects in the North Monterey County Participatory Budgeting Voter Guide: English/Spanish

How do I vote?

There are three ways to vote:

1. Vote in-person at the Election Kickoff on Saturday, April 27th from 1:00 – 5:00 pm at North Monterey County Middle School;
2. Pick-up a ballot and cast your vote at one of the ballot drop-off locations [MAP LINK] between April 27th – May 10th; or
3. Vote online [VOTE HERE]
   Make sure to cast your vote before May 10th!

What happens to the projects after the election?

The top voted projects will be recommended to the County of Monterey to be constructed. The County of Monterey will receive up to $1,000,000 from the Transportation Agency for Monterey County to construct the top-voted projects after the project list is approved by the Board of Supervisors and the TAMC board.

How can I get involved?

If you’d like to get involved, email ariadne@tamcmonterey.org to learn more about the North Monterey County Safe Routes to School Steering Committee.