Participatory Budgeting: A Flawed Model for Municipal Decision-Making
Participatory budgeting is the city’s program that allows community members directly decide how to allocate a portion of a public budget. Each participatory budgeting cycle increases the amount of city funds to be disbursed; the current cycle allocates $2 million in city funds; $7.5 million has been allocated to date. Each time I’ve received the city’s participatory budgeting mailer, I’m struck that some are essential projects that unquestionably should be undertaken, some are feel-good projects, and a few that are superfluous. Some are ridiculously overpriced (a Tree/Garden Coordinator at $410,000 or 250 rat traps at $1440 each). Others are safety issues that the City should implement without question, like last cycle’s installation of high-visibility poles for fire hydrants. Upon reflection, I realize that participatory budgeting is a poor substitute for careful policy decisions. Participatory budgeting programs have gained traction in various cities around the world., Proponents o