March 23, 2004Building a Democratic City: How Participatory Budgeting Can Work in Toronto

Don’t just sit there!

On the piece of paper you receive, please describe a public

experience that changed the way you think about and understand

democracy or equity.

March 23, 2004Building a Democratic City: How Participatory Budgeting Can Work in Toronto

Building a Democratic City

How Participatory Budgeting Can Work in TorontoJosh Lerner - March 23, 2004

Supervisor: Kanishka Goonewardena

Prepared for: City of Toronto Community Engagement Unit

March 23, 2004Building a Democratic City: How Participatory Budgeting Can Work in Toronto

Today’s Agenda

- Why did I research participatory budgeting in Toronto?

- What is participatory budgeting?- Problem #1: “Participatory budgeting” is used to

describe or justify almost any type of budget process

- Problem #2: Perception that participatory budgeting is not appropriate in Canada

- Problem #3: Perception that participatory budgeting is not appropriate for the Toronto City budget

March 23, 2004Building a Democratic City: How Participatory Budgeting Can Work in Toronto

Why did I research participatory budgeting?

• “Democratic deficit”• Government decisions not made in the public

interest• Increasing social and economic inequality• People alienated and detached from government• People have less control over their lives• Budgets directly determine how resources are

distributed

March 23, 2004Building a Democratic City: How Participatory Budgeting Can Work in Toronto

The Porto Alegre Experience

Participatory Budgeting in Porto Alegre, Brazil:– year-long ongoing process– residents decide capital budget priorities in

their own neighbourhoods– elected budget delegates integrate local and

regional budget priorities into city-wide participatory budget

– over $40 million US (20% of total budget) allocated each year

– over 50,000 people participate

March 23, 2004Building a Democratic City: How Participatory Budgeting Can Work in Toronto

Why did I research participatory budgeting in

Toronto?• Community organizations are organizing and

advocating for participatory budgeting• Mayor Miller called for a “truly participatory”

budget process• City organized new Listening to Toronto public

consultations in January 2004

• Miller announced that the 2005 budget process would be more participatory - but how?

March 23, 2004Building a Democratic City: How Participatory Budgeting Can Work in Toronto

What is participatory budgeting?

March 23, 2004Building a Democratic City: How Participatory Budgeting Can Work in Toronto

What is participatory budgeting?

Some very different answers:– The Harris government’s tax cuts– Formal public deputations on budget issues– Public consultations and focus groups about

budget issues, such as Listening to Toronto– What they do in Porto Alegre– Anything that allows the public to participate in

a budget-making process– Direct participation of community groups and

citizens in the process of setting local government budgets

March 23, 2004Building a Democratic City: How Participatory Budgeting Can Work in Toronto

Problem #1

“Participatory budgeting” is used to describe or justify

almost any type of budget process.

March 23, 2004Building a Democratic City: How Participatory Budgeting Can Work in Toronto

What I did

I developed a definition of participatory budgeting as a distinct participatory governance process.

– synthesizes existing research and experiences

– describes the essential design features and core principles of participatory budgeting

– can be adapted to different local contexts

March 23, 2004Building a Democratic City: How Participatory Budgeting Can Work in Toronto

Main design features

Democratic structures– local budgeting units– regional budgeting units– city-wide budget council

Shared responsibilities– residents decide budget priorities– elected budget delegates represent residents– city staff facilitate, provide technical support– participants oversee the process

March 23, 2004Building a Democratic City: How Participatory Budgeting Can Work in Toronto

Main design features

Empowering activities– popular education– transparent budget spending criteria– focus on local direct-impact budget projects

March 23, 2004Building a Democratic City: How Participatory Budgeting Can Work in Toronto

Core principles

• Democracy• Equity• Community• Education• Transparency• Efficiency

March 23, 2004Building a Democratic City: How Participatory Budgeting Can Work in Toronto

Problem #2

Perception that participatory budgeting is not appropriate

in Canada

March 23, 2004Building a Democratic City: How Participatory Budgeting Can Work in Toronto

What I did

I profiled two city-wide participatory budgeting programs that have worked in Canada: 1) City of Guelph - Neighbourhood Support Coalition 2) Toronto Community Housing Corporation - Community Based Business Planning

March 23, 2004Building a Democratic City: How Participatory Budgeting Can Work in Toronto

City of Guelph

Neighbourhood Support Coalition– Neighbourhood groups deliberate community

needs and priority projects (peer support groups, summer camps, language training)

– Community Services Department and partner organizations contribute to Coalition budget

– 35 Neighbourhood delegates and partner organization representatives meet to decide which projects are funded

– Participants annually allocate $600,000 to over 400 community activities

March 23, 2004Building a Democratic City: How Participatory Budgeting Can Work in Toronto

Toronto Community Housing

Community Based Business Planning– Tenants deliberate priority projects for their

own buildings and grounds (new stoves, playgrounds, roof renovations)

– Building delegates deliberate project funding at Regional Community Forums and then a city-wide Budget Council

– During 3-year budget cycle, $18 million allocated on 237 projects

– Over 6000 tenants participated

March 23, 2004Building a Democratic City: How Participatory Budgeting Can Work in Toronto

In their own words

“This is the hardest thing to do. There are a lot of emotions here at the table.” - Guelph Neighbourhood Group representative

“Each Group is individual but yet when we come to the table, we need to advocate and make decisions based on the good of the whole. I now understand the statement, what is good for you is also good for me.” - Guelph representative

“Staff were shocked by how much we had to offer!” - TCHC resident

“Once everybody gave a little bit, we all came together as a community.” - TCHC resident

March 23, 2004Building a Democratic City: How Participatory Budgeting Can Work in Toronto

Problem #3

Perception that participatory budgeting is not appropriate for the Toronto City budget

March 23, 2004Building a Democratic City: How Participatory Budgeting Can Work in Toronto

What I did

• Identified potential benefits• Identified potential problems and ways

to overcome them• Compared the current budget process

with participatory budgeting• Proposed a model for participatory

budgeting in Toronto• Proposed next steps for moving towards

participatory budgeting

March 23, 2004Building a Democratic City: How Participatory Budgeting Can Work in Toronto

Recommendations and next steps

Community education and consciousness1) Sponsor community workshops on

participatory budgeting2) Organize a visioning exercise for the 2005

budget process3) Establish neighbourhood budget groups

March 23, 2004Building a Democratic City: How Participatory Budgeting Can Work in Toronto

Recommendations and next steps

City staff capacity1) Host a participatory budgeting workshop for

City staff2) Initiate a facilitator training program3) Research additional participatory budgeting

programs4) Hire new participatory budgeting staff

March 23, 2004Building a Democratic City: How Participatory Budgeting Can Work in Toronto

Recommendations and next steps

Pilot programs1) Organize pilot program in a specific

geographic area2) Organize pilot program in a specific city

program or service3) Encourage special purpose bodies to

implement participatory budgeting4) Encourage independent Toronto

organizations to implement participatory budgeting

March 23, 2004Building a Democratic City: How Participatory Budgeting Can Work in Toronto

Questions?