In budgeting for CDBG funds, the City of Wheeling is required to develop its own Citizen Participation Plan. This defines how the City will involve the public, in the planning and development of the annual budget. Therefore, each year, the City of Wheeling strictly follows the Citizen Participation process in forming the CDBG Budget.
Informational Meeting
In November of each year the City’s Economic and Community Development (ECD) Department holds an informational meeting to provide technical assistance for the benefit of not-for-profit organizations that wish to apply for CDBG assistance for the upcoming fiscal year. The CDBG Program’s fiscal year begins July 1 and ends June 30. Information packets are distributed that help clarify the funding request process.
Public Needs Hearings
Each year the ECD Department sponsors four separate public needs hearings during the month of January. The purpose for the hearings is to solicit citizen comment on how to allocate the City’s federal funds for the upcoming fiscal year. The hearings are held in the following low and moderate income neighborhoods:
- North Wheeling
- Center-South Wheeling
- East Wheeling
- Wheeling Island
Public notice of the hearings is published at least three times during the months of December and January as a conspicuous display advertisement.
Annual Budget Process
Citizen comments from the Public Needs Hearings are taken into consideration as the City Administration prepares a budget to recommend to City Council. The recommended budget is placed on public display in the local library and in the ECD Department, as is advertised in another large display advertisement. Notice is given that the Administration is sponsoring a fifth public hearing to give the public advanced notice of the recommended budget.
Soon thereafter, City Council holds a work session to discuss the recommendations. From that comes Council’s proposed Action Plan (i.e., to be proposed to HUD). Another display advertisement is published within the local newspapers that lists all of the proposed projects and dollar amounts. It also serves as a public hearing notice that Council will sponsor a sixth and final public hearing in April of each year prior to taking any official action.
Finally, during Council’s first meeting in May, a resolution is adopted that authorizes the City Manager to apply to HUD for the City’s annual funding.
The above is the annual process we follow to ensure that members of our community have a say in the development of the annual Action Plan from start to finish.
