As we reported earlier this Spring, Vallejo will be launching its first Participatory Budgeting initiative later this year. It's truly a historic event - not just for Vallejo but for our nation at large. No other US city has tried this exercise in citizen involvement at a city level. So there will be many interested eyes trained on how Vallejo fares with this new process.
The intiative won't kick off until this Fall. In the interm, we thought that this summer is an excellent time to lead off with some coverage about how this type of budgeting project works. We have started a new series, Participatory Budgeting 101, for this purpose. Onboard to help us flesh it out are a number of subject matter experts who are well versed in the process.
For our intial posting we thought it would be fitting and special to draw on the experience of a veteran Participatory Budgeting (PB) participant and Vallejo Community Issues Examiner subscriber. Honoring his request, we will not disclose his name. He hails from the 49th Ward in Rogers Park, Chicago, where the PB process is are now in its third year.
Apples, oranges and something in-between
Comparing Rogers Park to Vallejo, at first blush, may seem like comparing apples to oranges. The 49th Ward is only a small part of the Chicago metropolis. But if diversity matters (and we think it does) than the gap narrows. Both places have highly diverse populations and have experienced the challenges of assimilating immigrant migrations. Both places also have part of their fortunes linked to water: Rogers Park is located on Lake Michigan's waterfront and Vallejo, on the Carquinez Channel.
Curb your baggage (but not your enthusiasm)
Where these two regions may find their greatest common denominator are the concerns that potential participants bring to the project - concerns that may or may not be grounded in past experiences. We asked our reader about how Rogers Park dealt with this "mental baggage" in the early days of its PB process. He responds:
"One of the initial concerns was related to distrust and skepticism. Would the appearance or illusion of an open and democratic PB process actually turn out to be so complicated and opaque that it would be used to camouflage a corrupt process in which back-room decisions would emerge and claim to have resulted from an open process? Other initial concerns related to the concept of equity. Would some participants or “administrators” of the process have privileged or disproportionate influence and control over the process. These concerns were reflective of traditional, back-room Chicago-style politics and were very understandable."
"These concerns were managed by keeping the process and the participants open, accountable, responsive and clearly identifiable. Any question of secrecy was responded to in an open and prompt manner."
We expect that Vallejoans will bring similar concerns to this fledgling initiative. We recommend that residents be given ample time, at the onset, to voice their concerns and that the PB steering committee ensure that the PB process, throughout its life cycle, remain as transparent as possible.
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