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 Toronto Josh 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 consciousness 1) Sponsor community workshops on participatory budgeting 2) Organize a visioning exercise for the 2005 budget process 3) Establish neighbourhood budget groups

March 23, 2004Building a Democratic City: How Participatory Budgeting Can Work in Toronto Recommendations and next steps City staff capacity 1) Host a participatory budgeting workshop for City staff 2) Initiate a facilitator training program 3) Research additional participatory budgeting programs 4) Hire new participatory budgeting staff

March 23, 2004Building a Democratic City: How Participatory Budgeting Can Work in Toronto Recommendations and next steps Pilot programs 1) Organize pilot program in a specific geographic area 2) Organize pilot program in a specific city program or service 3) Encourage special purpose bodies to implement participatory budgeting 4) Encourage independent Toronto organizations to implement participatory budgeting

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