City of Cambridge Participatory Budgeting

We are going to hold the mandatory orientation for volunteer Budget Delegates on Tuesday, January 6, 2015 from 6-8:30pm at the Citywide Senior Center.  Please RSVP here and let us know if you can make it.

As a Budget Delegate, you'll work on a committee with 5-10 other Delegates focusing on one issue/project area, such as Parks and Recreation, Streets and Sidewalks, Environment, etc.  As a group, you'll receive a list of all of the ideas that were submitted in December that fall under your committee's category, and you'll have to narrow down that list to a few projects that you recommend appear on the ballot for the public vote in March. 

You'll conduct site visits to proposed project areas and evaluate project ideas by looking at things like community impact, neighborhood need, sustainability, feasibility, cost, etc. You'll also meet with staff from different City departments and they will give you guidance on project feasibility and cost, as well as on what is already included in the City's capital plan. You do not need to have a background in budgeting or finance to be a Budget Delegate. You just have to be open-minded, creative, and excited to help your community. The minimum age to serve as a Budget Delegate is 14.

The majority of Budget Delegates' work will take place in January in February, and you will probably meet every week with your subcommittee. In March, you'll help put together science fair-like Project Expos where members of the community can learn about all of the projects that will appear on the ballot. Although being a Budget Delegate will require a significant time commitment, it is over a relatively short time period and this work is really important. We need your support in order to make the City's first Participatory Budgeting process a success.

If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to contact us at [email protected] or (617) 349-3266. 

Thank you!