Beginning next year, the City of Maplewood will receive an estimated additional $400,000 annually to spend on police and public safety. The money comes from Prop P, a county-wide, half-cent sales tax to increase spending on “police and public safety” passed by voters in April 2017. Prop P garnered 63 percent support county wide, 57 percent support in Maplewood.
A group of Maplewood residents is hosting a community meeting about Prop P on Monday, Nov. 13, from 7:30-9 p.m., at the Focal Point, 2720 Sutton Blvd. The event aims to raise awareness about what Prop P is, how the funding process works and implications in Maplewood.
“We feel this is an important opportunity to begin a conversation about what public safety means to us as a community,” said Eleanor Pardini, one of the event’s organizers. “We want residents to be engaged in this process and hope that this meeting is the beginning of a process to make sure as many people are included and as many voices as possible are heard.”
Lisa Clancy, another event organizer, added, “We hope our city councilors will plan to allocate the money in ways that will advance public safety and ensure equitable and respectful interactions for all members of the community.”
The event will start with a short educational talk about Prop P and what it means for Maplewood. Attendees then will break into groups to discuss topics related to transparency, inclusion of public input and how Maplewood is investing in public safety as a community. Ideas generated from each group will be compiled and presented to attendees as a whole for larger group dialogue. The event will conclude with a discussion of next steps. After 9 p.m., attendees are invited to stay and socialize.
For more, email [email protected] or visit facebook.com/maplewoodcommunitybuilders.