Columbus Advances Participatory Budgeting Ballots for $9 Million Capital Vote
Volunteer delegates and paid facilitators are shaping project ballots for a public vote in early 2027 after screening hundreds of resident proposals.
Columbus's inaugural participatory budgeting initiative, Our Voice, Our Choice, gives community members direct access to propose ideas for spending $9 million of the city's capital budget, according to municipal program records. The Our Voice, Our Choice initiative moved into its Impact and Equity Review stage after the feasibility review process was completed, city legislative records state.
Between July 6 and Aug. 28, the city received over 750 project proposals from residents. According to the city program schedule, feasibility review took place from Aug. 31 through Oct. 15. Administration staff evaluated the project proposals against criteria for cost, capital eligibility, and estimated timeline to determine if projects should advance to the next stage.
The Impact and Equity Review phase began Oct. 15 and is scheduled to conclude Dec. 11, according to program documentation. In this stage, volunteer budget delegates review projects that advanced through feasibility review to craft a ballot of projects for their district.
The Columbus City Council authorized the City Clerk to enter into a fiscal agency agreement with The Participatory Budgeting Project, Inc. for payment to budget delegate facilitators. The ordinance authorizes $7,500 within the Neighborhood Initiatives subfund to fund the agreement. Under the agreement, facilitators will receive $500 for additional responsibilities, while the organization receives a $1,500 administrative fee. Facilitators will set meeting agendas, establish meeting processes, and ensure delegates assemble ballots before voting starts, according to legislative filings.
The voting period is scheduled for Jan. 15 through Feb. 15, according to the city timeline. Anyone over the age of 16 is invited to participate in the final vote.
The pilot program sets aside $9 million from the city's capital budget, with $1 million allocated to each council district. The capital budget funds long-term projects that the city can build, improve, or buy. Residents will then select from district ballot projects, totaling no more than $1 million, for implementation.
Under the city's process overview, results are scheduled for March 15. The city says winning projects are intended to be completed within 12 to 18 months.
How we know this
The sources and records behind this story, with the facts they support.
https://common.oneproject.org/en/columbus
Supporting evidence (7)
Columbus's inaugural participatory budgeting initiative, Our Voice, Our Choice, gives community members direct access to propose ideas for spending $9 million of the city's capital budget, according to municipal program records.
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The City of Columbus is proud to launch its first ever Participatory Budgeting process. Our Voice, Our Choice Budget is a process that gives community members direct access to propose ideas for how to spend $9 million of the City's capital budget.
According to the city program schedule, feasibility review took place from Aug. 31 through Oct. 15.
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Feasibility ReviewAug 31 - Oct 15
The Impact and Equity Review phase began Oct. 15 and is scheduled to conclude Dec. 11, according to program documentation.
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Impact & Equity ReviewOct 15 - Dec 11
The voting period is scheduled for Jan. 15 through Feb. 15, according to the city timeline.
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VotingJan 15 - Feb 15
Anyone over the age of 16 is invited to participate in the final vote.
The capital budget funds long-term projects that the city can build, improve, or buy.
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The City Capital Budget funds long-term capital projects that the City can build, improve, or buy.
Under the city's process overview, results are scheduled for March 15.
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Process OverviewProposal SubmissionJul 6 - Aug 28Feasibility ReviewAug 31 - Oct 15Impact & Equity ReviewOct 15 - Dec 11VotingJan 15 - Feb 15ResultsMar 15
Supporting evidence (10)
The Our Voice, Our Choice initiative moved into its Impact and Equity Review stage after the feasibility review process was completed, city legislative records state.
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The feasibility review process has now been completed. In this next stage, Impact & Equity Review, volunteer budget delegates will review those projects that have advanced through feasibility review to ultimately craft a ballot of projects for their district.
Between July 6 and Aug. 28, the city received over 750 project proposals from residents.
Read supporting passage
between July 6th and August 28th of this year, the city received over 750 project proposals from residents.
Administration staff evaluated the project proposals against criteria for cost, capital eligibility, and estimated timeline to determine if projects should advance to the next stage.
Read supporting passage
Following completion of the proposal submissions stage, the initiative shifted to feasibility review, wherein administration staff evaluated the project proposals against criteria for cost, capital eligibility, and estimated timeline to determine if projects should advance to the next stage.
In this stage, volunteer budget delegates review projects that advanced through feasibility review to craft a ballot of projects for their district.
Read supporting passage
In this next stage, Impact & Equity Review, volunteer budget delegates will review those projects that have advanced through feasibility review to ultimately craft a ballot of projects for their district.
The Columbus City Council authorized the City Clerk to enter into a fiscal agency agreement with The Participatory Budgeting Project, Inc. for payment to budget delegate facilitators.
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BE IT ORDAINED BY THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF COLUMBUS: SECTION 1. That the City Clerk is hereby authorized to enter into a fiscal agency agreement with The Participatory Budgeting Project, Inc. for payment to budget delegate facilitators.
The ordinance authorizes $7,500 within the Neighborhood Initiatives subfund to fund the agreement.
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SECTION 2. That the Auditor is hereby authorized and directed to appropriate $7,500.00 within the Neighborhood Initiatives subfund per the accounting codes in the attachment to this ordinance.
Under the agreement, facilitators will receive $500 for additional responsibilities, while the organization receives a $1,500 administrative fee.
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While the role of budget delegate is voluntary and unpaid, some residents will serve as facilitators, which will entail additional work and responsibilities and for which they will be compensated $500.
Under the agreement, facilitators will receive $500 for additional responsibilities, while the organization receives a $1,500 administrative fee.
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PBP has agreed to act as a fiscal agent for the distribution of these payments, for which they will be paid an administrative fee of $1,500.
Facilitators will set meeting agendas, establish meeting processes, and ensure delegates assemble ballots before voting starts, according to legislative filings.
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Facilitators will ensure that budget delegates have the information and resources necessary to complete their work, they will set meeting agendas and establish meeting processes, and they will ensure that budget delegates are able to assemble a ballot in time for voting, which is currently scheduled to begin in mid-January.
Residents will then select from district ballot projects, totaling no more than $1 million, for implementation.
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Residents will then select from those projects on the ballot, totaling no more than $1 million, for implementation.
https://www.columbusnavigator.com/columbus-participatory-budgeting-program/
Supporting evidence (2)
The pilot program sets aside $9 million from the city's capital budget, with $1 million allocated to each council district.
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The pilot program sets aside $9 million from the city’s capital budget, with $1 million allocated to each of Columbus’ nine City Council districts.
The city says winning projects are intended to be completed within 12 to 18 months.