Portland, Maine faces cuts to their city budget and decided that it would reach out to the residents to ask for donations to fund those items that are not core services.
I think it is a great idea. Not only does it involve residents in deciding if non-core services are going to be provided in our city, but it also gives people information on what these "little extras" actually cost.
You can go online http://www.portlandmaine.gov/donations/giftcatalog.asp and take a look at their "gift catalog.
