Participatory Budgeting in Pawtucket Central Falls
Pawtucket Central Falls Participatory Budgeting video, 2023
Courtesy of LISC Rhode Island
Shifting Power to Communities
In 2023, the Pawtucket Central Falls HEZ organized a participatory budget process to vote on how to spend $385,000 for projects to benefit community health. This technique has been used in Brazil since 1989 as an anti-poverty measure and democratic decision-making method, and it is now being used in the U.S.
A residents steering committee created the rules and framework for the process and took the lead with Youth Equity Leaders in collecting more than 600 ideas from residents. Next, 40 “Change Agents” worked in committees with resident facilitators to turn these ideas into 11 project proposals. Then, like a government election, voter education and get-out-the-votes campaigns were launched.
Residents 14 years and older were eligible to vote, either online or in-person on “election day.” Paper ballots were produced for use with actual voting booths provided by the Rhode Island Secretary of State. The people spoke: after the votes were counted, a splash pad water installation, an outdoor fitness equipment center, and an “End the Stigma” mental health campaign were given green lights.
Having access to water in the summer is an important goal for most residents, especially as the days get hotter everywhere. But for many residents in Pawtucket and Central Falls, there was no way to access water recreationally. Residents were eager to create a place where the community could come together and cool off, and a splash pad seemed like the answer. Splash pads and interactive fountains provide opportunities for kids of all ages to cool down and enjoy the summer, which is why the project was the top vote-getter.
The area chosen for the project was a small and underused park surrounded by five-story multifamily housing, four-lane roadways, and very little tree canopy. This park will provide an oasis and a resource for hundreds of kids in the neighborhoods around the park.
Residents reviewing project boards prior to voting, Pawtucket, Rhode Island
Residents from Central Falls and Pawtucket review possible projects that could be funded through the participatory budget process
Ballot being fed into a voting machine
2023 Participatory Budgeting Voter Eligibility Statement card (English)
2023 Participatory Budgeting Voter Eligibility Statement card (Spanish)
Participatory budgeting process ballots in Portuguese, Spanish, and English
Encuesta de Votantes De HEZ PB 2023 – Espańol
Encuesta de Votantes De HEZ PB 2023 – Espańol
HEZ PB Voter Survey 2023 - English
HEZ PB Voter Survey 2023 - English
I Voted Stickers
Photographs and Participatory Budgeting Materials
Courtesy of LISC Rhode Island
The Results are In!
During the participatory budgeting process, the community voted on 11 potential programs. Voters were able to pick their top five ideas, and the projects with the highest scores were funded.
After funding the Splash Pad and the Exercise Equipment project, money was still available to fund the second highest scored idea: the Mental Health Awareness Campaign. The goal was to raise awareness of mental health needs for people of all cultures, ages and backgrounds and reduce the stigma associated with seeking mental health support.
The Mental Health Task Force began working on designing murals, conducting anti-stigma trainings, and creating video campaigns. The Task Force also conducted a school art contest, incorporating the winning designs on these bus shelter posters.
