Participatory Budgeting

• Each year, every alderperson is allocated $1.5 million for infrastructure improvements such as sidewalk repair, street and alley resurfacing, lighting improvements, pedestrian safety improvements, and more! 

• In the 35th ward, neighbors have been given the power to vote on how the majority of these funds are prioritized through participatory budgeting. This is a process that began in Porto Alegre, Brazil, in 1989 as a process to give more power to residents to decide how their tax dollars should be spent.

• This process has been used for over a decade in several wards to allocate infrastructure dollars, and after taking office in April of 2025, Alderman Quezada has pledged to continue the use of Participatory Budgeting.

Our Current Participatory Budgeting Season:

In late 2025, 686 community members from around the 35th ward voted on what they would like to see prioritized for our 2026 aldermanic menu funds.

Pedestrian Safety Infrastructure and Sidewalk Repairs came in first and second place, respectively and there was a tie between Street and Alley Resurfacing and Public Art and Beautification of Public Spaces. Therefore, these will be funded categories through the 2026 aldermanic menu program. We will soon release more information on specific projects chosen by our volunteer participatory budgeting committee.