Cambridge Residents Take Over Budget

The city will set aside $700,000 and allow residents to directly decide how to spend it.

Participatory budgeting is a democratic process in which community members directly decide how to spend part of a public budget. This is the third year the city has participated City of Cambridge will launch its third Participatory Budgeting (PB) cycle from June to December.

For this next process, The city will set aside $700,000 for capital projects to improve the community. Winning projects from past PB cycles include a public toilet in Central Square, bike repair stations, a freezer van for prepared food rescue, water bottle fill stations, bilingual books for children learning English, and many others.

City officials said they are seeking volunteers to serve on the outreach committee to help ensure that the PB process is inclusive, transparent, and engages as many community members as possible.

The Outreach Committee orientation meeting will be held Tuesday, May 24, from 6-7:30 p.m., at Central Square Library, 45 Pearl St., Cambridge.