Many of us live in or around large cities across the US. Each of these cities is likely divided into a number of separate areas represented by one specific legislator. These areas are often called districts or wards, while the legislators themselves are usually referred to as aldermen. In most cities a portion of the collected tax is budgeted to each district for that district’s alderman to use as (s)he wishes, assuming that it will benefit the infrastructure of the city.
Participatory Budgeting (PB) gives a voice to the people on how that money is spent. There are varying models for PB, but typically, a group of volunteers bring several projects into discussion, and they vote on what they think will be most beneficial. Those projects are then put onto the ballot during elections, and the community decides where they want the money to be spent.
After learning what PB is, you’re probably asking yourself what the big deal is. It’s not necessarily and innovative idea; in fact, it seems like common sense. You might be surprised to find out, however, that only a few years ago the 49thWard of Chicago was the first to ever utilize the PB model in the US. Since then, other districts in large cities have adopted the model, including New York and Los Angeles, but to date, only the small city of Vallejo, CA, has shown interest in adopting the model at a city-wide level.
To learn more about the participatory budgeting movement or to find out how your community can adopt this model, please visit, http://www.participatorybudgeting.org/
Participatory Budgeting (PB) gives a voice to the people on how that money is spent. There are varying models for PB, but typically, a group of volunteers bring several projects into discussion, and they vote on what they think will be most beneficial. Those projects are then put onto the ballot during elections, and the community decides where they want the money to be spent.
After learning what PB is, you’re probably asking yourself what the big deal is. It’s not necessarily and innovative idea; in fact, it seems like common sense. You might be surprised to find out, however, that only a few years ago the 49thWard of Chicago was the first to ever utilize the PB model in the US. Since then, other districts in large cities have adopted the model, including New York and Los Angeles, but to date, only the small city of Vallejo, CA, has shown interest in adopting the model at a city-wide level.
To learn more about the participatory budgeting movement or to find out how your community can adopt this model, please visit, http://www.participatorybudgeting.org/
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