Participatory Budgeting

This is an ongoing program.

Last updated on August 29, 2019

The City hopes that Participatory Budgeting will directly involve residents in the budgeting and city-building process, foster civic engagement and community spirit, and help ensure that the way the City spends its money reflects the thoughts and feelings of Cambridge community members.

When

This is an ongoing program.

Time of year:

School days

Summer

The 2019 PB cycle will run from May-December 2019 and include the following key phases: 1) Planning and recruitment of a volunteer OUTREACH COMMITTEE consisting of residents and representatives from local nonprofit and community-based organizations (May 2019). 2) Community members brainstorm and submit IDEAS about how to spend money to improve Cambridge (June 1-July 31, 2019). 3) Volunteer Budget Delegates research and prioritize ideas, ultimately developing final PROPOSALS for the PB ballot (August-November 2019). 4) City staff vet proposals for FEASIBILITY and COST (November 2019). 5) Residents VOTE on which projects they’d like the City to fund (December 1-7, 2019). 6) RESULTS are announced and winning projects are included in the City’s FY20 capital budget (December 2019). 7) Winning projects are IMPLEMENTED (July 2020 onward).