Funding Democracy: Participatory Budgeting in Canada

One of the most pressing challenges facing today’s cities is how to involve the public in the machinery of government and its fiscal decisions in a meaningful way. Participatory budgeting, a model derived from the Brazilian experience, gives the public the right to propose, deliberate, and vote on a part of the city budget. Does participatory budgeting actually improve democracy, transparency, and accountability, or is it simply another consultation tool in disguise? On May 5, IMFG hosted a panel discussion on the opportunities and challenges of implementing participatory budgeting in Canadian cities.