The People's Budget

Summertime in Seattle is here! As we transition into a new season, the Seattle PB process is also transitioning into a new phase, the Design Phase! Below, you can find updates, important information, and opportunities for this process.

PB Process Updates

• The Seattle Community Jury has officially selected the Steering Committee, Lived Experience & Outreach Workgroup, the Accountability and Restorative & Proactive Workgroup, the Budget Delegate & Facilitation Workgroup, and the Data & Evaluation Workgroup!!
• We are officially in the Design Phase of the Seattle PB Process! The Steering Committee is currently working on creating the guidebook for the process.
• The Lived Experience & Outreach Workgroup has officially convened! They are working on creating an outreach strategy for the Seattle PB process and are in the process of scoring Community Engagement Partner (CEP) applications!
• We made it on Metro! PB Seattle is now on bus and light rail ads. If you see any ads while you’re out, take a picture and tag us at #PBSeattle #participatorybudgeting #yourmoneyyourchoice

• We will move into the Idea Collection Phase in July once the PB guidebook is complete! Stay tuned for more updates.

Youth People's Fellows Updates

The youth People’s Fellows tabled at the Seattle Town Hall Back to the Future youth event featuring Mayor Bruce Harrell on June 7th. The event brought together youth of various backgrounds with a diverse panel, including a Q&A with the mayor and a resource fair whereby our youth fellows could connect with youth on PB and our upcoming idea collection.

Budget Delegate Applications are Open!

The Proposal Development process is a critical phase in any participatory budgeting process. It encompasses all of the work and research that goes into vetting the ideas submitted by community members for eligibility and feasibility, determining which ideas will be turned into project proposals, as well as the research that goes into developing the proposals community members will use to make an informed decision about which projects to fund.

This work will be led by the community members serving as Budget Delegates, with facilitation support provided by the Participatory Budgeting Project, the Budget Delegate & Facilitation Workgroup, and essential city staff and key departments.

Budget/Proposal Delegates Role & Responsibilities:

• Support and inform the process
• Build researched project proposals for each of the five focus areas:
• Housing and physical spaces
• Mental health
• Youth and children
• Economic development
• Crisis and wellness
• Work in collaboration with the City of Seattle key staff and departments, the Budget Delegate & Facilitation Workgroup, and the Participatory Budgeting Project (PBP)

Click here to apply to be a budget delegate.

The Application Deadline for this opportunity is Friday, July 14, 2023. For questions or more information, please contact Telitha at Telitha@participatorybudgeting.org.

Media and Upcoming Events

The Seattle PB team will be doing outreach at the following events. Stop by and say hey to the team and learn more about participatory budgeting! No RSVP needed.

• Juneteenth Celebration @ Jimi Hendrix Park- June 19, 2023
• Juneteenth Celebration @ Othello Park- June 24, 2023

If you are organizing an event and would like us to table, attend, and/or inform the community about the PB process, please contact Telitha at Telitha@participatorybudgeting.org or Fundisha at Fundisha@participatorybudgeting.org

Check out interviews with our PB Seattle team and Youth Fellows:

Engage with us:

To stay up to date with information and opportunities for the Seattle PB process, sign up for our email list here.

You can also contact the Seattle PB Engagement Team:

Telitha Floyd, Community Engagement Director, Telitha@participatorybudgeting.org

Fundisha Tibebe, Community Engagement Manager, Fundisha@participatorybudgeting.org

Aaron Carr, Seattle People’s Fellowship Program Manager, Aaronc@participatroybudgeting.org

Abari Eluzai, Seattle People’s Fellowship Program Manager, Abari@participatorybudgeting.org

Add us on social media:

• Twitter: @PBProject
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ParticipatoryBudgetingProject
• Instagram: @pbp_org
• Seattle People's Fellows Instagram: @seattlepeoplesfellowship