Participatory Budgeting & the Black Brilliance Research Project
Summary
At the end of 2020, the Seattle City Council allocated $30m to research and implement a participatory budgeting process in Seattle, which is expected to take place in 2022. In participatory budgeting, citizens are directly involved in the process of deciding how public money is spent. The Black Brilliance Research Project (BBRP) was contracted to do qualitative research in Seattle about the public safety and community health priorities of Seattle residents.
In its final report, BBRP identified a participatory budgeting (PB) process that is community-led and equity-focused that will allocate money to public safety investments. PB addresses the root causes of harm and is informed by those communities most impacted by police violence and incarceration. The project identifies five focus areas to address community health, safety, and thriving:
Housing and physical spaces
Mental health
Youth and children
Economic development
Crisis and wellness
The BBRP report also outlines a Steering Committee of community members with lived-experience to implement participatory budgeting. While the Seattle City Council has already made an initial commitment of funds to this project, more money could potentially be divested from the police department to be invested through participatory budgeting in the future.
Importance
In upcoming years, the Mayor and City Council will decide whether to continue funding a participatory budgeting program in Seattle that re-invests dollars into under-resourced communities and allows those most impacted to have a real voice in which programs get funded.
Acronyms
BBRP - Black Brilliance Research Project
PB - Participatory Budgeting