USA Today sings the praises of participatory budgeting, as part of a series on community involvement:
One of the boldest exercises in citizen involvement is playing out in Chicago’s 49th Ward. Every ward receives $1.3 million a year to spend on roads, sewers and other infrastructure. Alderman Joe Moore let residents choose exactly where they want the money to go. Neighborhood committees were formed, drafted a list of projects they wanted to fund and put it to a vote…
Moore says letting citizens decide what to spend money on is… Read more.