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Anna Jo Beck
The last year has seen a call to defund the Chicago police and reallocate funds to mental health and community services. And while that call has not been answered, it has placed the city's budget under a magnifying glass. Residents want to have a say in where the money goes and participatory budgeting is a process that gives them that power.
So, what really
participatory budgeting?
According to Participatory Budgeting Chicago (PB Chicago), a coalition of aldermen, city agencies, community organizations, and residents based out of the University of Illinois Chicago's Great Cities Institute, "Participatory budgeting is democracy in action." While "budgeting" may be in the name, the actual process isn't so much about the budget as it is about engaging with and listening to residents, and creating a government that reflects their wants and needs.