‘They Got a Foot in and They Thrived’: Participatory Budgeting Engages Durham Residents in Local Government

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‘They Got a Foot in and They Thrived’: Participatory Budgeting Engages Durham Residents in Local Government

Participatory Budgeting is back for its fourth cycle in Durham, allowing residents the opportunity to allot $2.4 million in city on (almost) whatever project idea they can dream up.Durham began using Participatory Budgeting (PB) in 2018. Carmen Ortiz, budget engagement manager with the city of Durham, has worked on PB since the first cycle.“It’s not just about giving residents these projects, but also about educating them, empowering them, and t…