Clevelanders urge for ‘participatory budgeting’ in city’s stimulus spending – how has it worked elsewhere?

IRS stimulus child tax credit

PB CLE, or Participatory Budgeting Cleveland, is urging the city to set aside $30.8 million – a figure commensurate with the city’s 30.8% poverty rate - of its American Rescue Plan windfall for a year-long, resident-driven participatory budgeting process.Susan Santola, Advance Local

By

CLEVELAND, Ohio – It’s been used by thousands of cities, counties, states, housing authorities, schools and other institutions to boost civic engagement, empower the public to decide how government money is spent and, hopefully, turn everyday citizens into leaders.

The resident-driven process known as Participatory Budgeting, or PB, for decades has been bringing to life the kinds of homegrown public improvement projects that matter most to communities. Now, it has arrived in Cleveland, where an advocacy group is asking the city to set aside more than $30 million of its $511 million American Rescue Plan windfall for a participatory budgeting process in which the public would nominate ideas and vote on favorites over the course of a year.

If you purchase a product or register for an account through a link on our site, we may receive compensation. By using this site, you consent to our User Agreement and agree that your clicks, interactions, and personal information may be collected, recorded, and/or stored by us and social media and other third-party partners in accordance with our Privacy Policy.