ALBUQUERQUE – In June 2024, District 6 City Councilor Nichole Rogers, announced the start of a partnership with Participatory Budgeting of Albuquerque. The Councilor and PBABQ together held a community “Visioning Session” in District 6 on June 18 where community members were invited to envision a Participatory Budgeting Pilot Program in Albuquerque. Then on July 21, community members were invited back to an on-boarding meeting where they identified opportunities to get involved in designing the pilot program.
Participatory Budgeting gets our residents involved in deciding how City funds are spent, specifically General Obligation Bond funding that can fund capital projects. PBABQ began as a collaboration between students and faculty from the University of New Mexico and community members. PBABQ has been organizing since November of 2023, with special interest in PB’s ability to uplift marginalized communities.
The pilot program in District 6 is now taking applications from community members (through September 3rd) to fill up to 20 seats on the District 6 Steering Committee. The District 6 Steering Committee’s work will create methods and processes designed to gather ideas for projects from individuals living, working, and studying in District 6 and further input on how Councilor Rogers’ Set-Aside (GO Bond) funding could be utilized for the long-term benefit of District 6.
Councilor Rogers has designated $1.5 million of her Set-Aside funding for capital projects within District 6. Community members living in District 6 will work together with City Departments and other partnerships to implement a Participatory Budgeting (PB) model. These funds can be used for capital projects like lighting, street improvements, beautification, etc. The most important part of the PB model is its ability to uplift, support, and seek voices of community members living in District 6 to generate ideas for capital projects and their eventual implementation. While Councilor Rogers is launching a pilot in Council District 6, the long-term goal is to implement the model in City Council Districts throughout the City.
“Residents of Albuquerque share a unique and profound connection to place,” said District 6 Councilor Nichole Rodgers. “That sets the City apart from many other urban centers in the United States. Participatory Budgeting in Albuquerque is a valuable tool to mobilize and amplify our City’s diverse voices in devising ways to improve our ‘place’. We can build upon the City’s values and aspirations of cultural diversity, equity and universality with every dollar spent.”
Applications to serve on the District 6 Steering Committee will be accepted through September 3rd.
WHO MAY SERVE ON THE PBABQ STEERING COMMITTEE?
Only community members who live, work, and/or study in District 6 are eligible to serve on the Committee. PBABQ will evaluate applications from community members to serve on the Committee based upon the following criteria:
— Local knowledge of what is happening “on the ground” in District 6
— Lived experience living, working, and/or studying in District 6
— Attendance at PBABQ public meetings and/or working group meetings
— Interest and passion in being civically engaged in the PB process in District 6 and other CABQ civic engagement opportunities
Participatory Budgeting started in Porto Alegre, Brazil, in 1989. Since then, PB has spread to over 7,000 cities around the world, and has been used to decide budgets from states, counties, cities, housing authorities, schools, and other institutions. The New York Times calls PB “revolutionary civics in action”. It deepens democracy, builds stronger communities, and creates a more equitable distribution of public resources. In the US there are currently PB’s in places as diverse as: New York, NY; Nashville, NC; Phoenix, AZ; Vallejo, CA; Chicago, IL; Grand Rapids, MI; Central Fall, RI; and Seattle, WA.