⇨ Community engagement in creation of the city budget & participatory budgeting

⇨ Empowerment of neighborhoods and residents (both renters and buyers) to have control

    over the development in their communities

⇨ Community Benefit Agreements

⇨ Fair and accessible elections

⇨ Community Land Trust

 

All Knoxvillians deserve real democracy in our local government and economy. We all deserve to have an impact on the decisions that control our lives, and instead of being controlled by the wealthy and powerful few. Everyone deserves fair elections and we all deserve to participate in the political process. 

 

The city budget of almost $400 million belongs to the people, and it is imperative that we have community participation throughout the entire budgeting process and have funds under the democratic control of our communities. Moreover, the people must have a say in how all city departments work, including the police department. To that end, our communities must have the ability to discipline police officers who commit harm and have a say in how much money is allocated to police. 

 

The city government and developers own or impact most of the land in Knoxville. The people of Knoxville deserve to benefit from development and have a say in how the land in our community is used. Our communities have a right to negotiate with developers, and utilize Community Benefit Agreements, to ensure developers work with our communities and neighborhoods. Community land trusts are a tool our communities can use to ensure that land stays in the hands of our communities, instead of greedy developers.