Participatory Budgeting: What would you do with 2.4 million for your community?
Participatory Budgeting: What would you do with 2.4 million for your community?
If you've been to Belmont Park, you probably know it’s home to a dragon. What you might not know is that all the features in that park, dragons included, were suggested and selected by Durham residents.
Every two years, residents are invited to submit ideas for new permanent structures. These ideas are reviewed for feasibility, shaped into solid proposals, and then the public votes on which projects to build. The process is called Participatory Budgeting, and you can see the winning projects from previous years at www.pbdurham.org.
Several recent park features were created through the PB
process, including the pump bike track in Belmont Park and the ADA accessible playground
in Drew Granby Park. PB Cycle III is
expecting $2.4 million in funding and the Budget department has started
collecting ideas. In other words, now is the time to suggest additions to your
local parks, as well as other improvements to your neighborhood.
Here’s what you need to know to get involved:
Submit your suggestions NOW until December 10, 2022 here:
https://durham.mysocialpinpoint.com/PBDURHAM.
(Este sitio web también está disponible en español at
https://durham.mysocialpinpoint.com/PBDURHAMESPANOL)
- Nov 30, 6-8pm, in Spanish at Latino Educational Achievement Partnership (1737 Hillandale Rd.
- Dec 6, 6-8pm, at Weaver Street Recreation Center (3000 E Weaver St.
- Additional pop-up events will happen various places around Durham.
Now – early January: PB will be recruiting volunteer Budget Delegates to help with proposal development and outreach. Other volunteers are needed throughout the entire process. This is a great opportunity to support the Durham community while learning about city government. City residents are strongly encouraged to apply!
- To sign up as a volunteer, email pbdurham@durhamnc.gov.
- You can also express interest in volunteering when you submit ideas at the Social Pinpoint website.
January – February:
Budget Delegates receive training in how to craft strong proposals informed by
equity and inclusion, resource mapping tools, and community engagement.
March – July:
Budget Delegates work with city residents, alongside City Staff and PB Steering
Committee members, to develop their submitted ideas into strong proposals. When similar ideas are submitted, they can be
consolidated into one proposal. Ideas
can be amended to improve their feasibility, impact, and equity, as scored on
the Project Evaluation Matrix. The
highest-rated projects make it onto the ballot.
Ideas that don’t go up for a vote are still submitted to the relevant
city departments so they can consider residents' suggestions. Budget Delegates
also strive to make residents aware of similar initiatives that are already
under development.
August:
Volunteers spread the word about the upcoming vote.
September:
Residents vote for their favorite projects!
Late Fall:
Winning projects go before City Council for their review and approval, and
implementation begins shortly thereafter.
It may be possible to track progress on the website.
2023 – 2024: The
City of Durham builds the winning projects.
Participatory Budgeting began in 2018, and funds were
distributed equally between the city’s three wards. The second cycle changed its focus in light
of COVID-19 to fund organizations whose work eased the pandemic’s impacts on
our community. The third cycle,
beginning this year, returns to the original focus of building one-time
physical projects, but the funds will be allocated in a more equitable manner,
based on a citywide asset map.
For questions, email pbdurham@durhamnc.gov.