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.
Projects can include but are not limited to, sidewalk repair, street and alley resurfacing, pedestrian safety improvements (ex. curb extension, detached bump-outs, traffic circles, etc.), concrete alley aprons, protected or painted bike lanes, lighting improvements, and neighborhood beautification. Projects must be either on the public right of way, on city property, or on the property of a city sister agency such as Chicago Public Schools or the Chicago Park District.
You can view previous year’s PB winners on our interactive map here.
Participatory Budgeting Voting:
Participatory budgeting voting is now open, as of October 23rd, through November 25th. Voting is open to all ward residents regardless of citizenship or voter status who reside within the 35th ward and are older than 14 years of age. Voters cast their ballot based on category preference, by selecting the three categories that they would like prioritized for implementation. You can vote online here, or by visiting the 35th Ward Office at 2934 N Milwaukee Avenue, Unit C, from Monday to Friday from 9am-5pm.
Participatory Budgeting Idea Collection:
Over the summer and fall, the 35th Ward office was collecting ideas for potential participatory budgeting projects to be voted on in 2026, to be implemented in 2027. Through this phase, the ward office collected over 300 potential infrastructure projects.
Implementing our past 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. You can see the selected projects on our interactive map here.