Dear Mayor, Vice Mayor, and Council Members,
My name is [YOUR NAME], resident of Melbourne, Florida. In light of the Black Lives Matter movement, I am writing to request that your budget for next year prioritizes community well-being and redirects funding away from law enforcement and corrections facilities to continue to disproportionately target Black, Brown, and Indigenous Americans and other minorities.
This year’s budget allotted almost $24 million towards police services and merely $589,567 towards Melbourne’s Housing and Urban Development program, which is meant to improve the quality of life of low-income residents by providing housing assistance, improving public facilities, and providing opportunities for personal and economic growth, as well as grants management, solicitation, and compliance.
Budgeting more towards programs that prioritize housing, jobs, and education would bolster communities rather than oppress them. Time and time again, it is found that policing disproportionately targets poorer people of color, and addressing issues of poverty at the root is a more efficient and humane use of funds than the police force.
I, as your constituent, urge you to take a closer look at what Melbourne can do to mitigate the harm that has been caused by the over-policing of minorities throughout our history. You can be a leader in creating a community where residents have resources available to them to break the systemic cycle of poverty and oppression that has been the norm in the U.S. for so many years.
Thank you for your time,
[YOUR NAME][YOUR ADDRESS]
[YOUR EMAIL][YOUR PHONE NUMBER]