News Flash

DURHAM, N.C. – After a month-long voting process where more than 10,000 residents cast their votes on how to spend $2.4 million, the results are in for Durham’s first-ever Participatory Budgeting process.

More than 500 ideas were narrowed down to 40 projects in each of the three City Council Wards, with each ward receiving an equal share of $800,000 to go toward their top-voted projects. Last month, residents in each ward were asked to vote to help select the winning projects to be implemented over the next three fiscal years. The top projects for each of the three wards are as follows:

Ward 1

Ward 2

Ward 3

“None of the three wards spent all of its allotted money in this cycle, so the remainder will be rolled over into the next cycle, which will occur in fall 2020,” said Budget Engagement Coordinator Robin Baker. “This fall, we will assemble a team of residents to oversee the projects and release a report on their projected timelines. Our goal is to implement at least 50% of the winning projects within the first fiscal year.”

Participatory Budgeting, also known as PB Durham, was a democratic process that allowed residents to directly decide how to spend $2.4 million dollars for one-time projects in each of the three City Council wards. Since its initial launch in November 2018, PB Durham engaged over 10,000 residents and students in this first-year process. Over 500 ideas were initially submitted during the idea collection phase in fall 2018, with the second phase of proposal development taking place from January to April 2019. During the second phase, over 100 students and residents from the community reviewed, vetted, analyzed, and developed over 40 project proposals using data, community research, and support from technical experts. The voting phase throughout May sought resident input on which of the top 40 projects should move to the final implementation phase.

For more information, visit the PB Durham website or contact Robin Baker at [email protected] or (984) 227-3395. Residents may also follow PB Durham on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram for updates.

About the Budget and Management Services Department  

The City of Durham Budget and Management Services Department is responsible for the development and oversight of the City’s annual budget and Capital Improvement Program (CIP). The department is also responsible for performance management, continuous improvement, and strategic planning. A division of the department, the Office of Performance and Innovation, serves as internal consultants, helping City departments accomplish Durham's "One Vision and Five Goals" through advancing the City's Strategic Plan; providing framework for data-driven decisions; fostering a culture of innovation; and facilitating process improvements.