City budgets can be obscure documents formed without much transparency or public input. While information about budgets is publicly available on government websites, outreach can be insufficient to help the general public understand how budgeting decisions impact their lives. Recently, some cities have experimented with participatory budgeting to help bridge this information gap. Advocates, academics and officials have all been engaged in this work at the local level to make democracy more inclusive. Join us to discuss how participatory budgeting can empower people to come together and decide how to spend public money.
- Amanda Hudson / Participatory Budgeting Oregon
- Hollie Russon Gilman / New America
- Shari Davis / Participatory Budget Project