March, 2024 Dear Mayor Wu, As community, business, education and nonprofit leaders across Boston, we urge you to allocate $40 million (-1% of operating budget) to the City's new Participatory Budgeting (PB) process. We understand, based on your comments last year, that the initial $4 million allocated to the Office of Participatory Budgeting to run the process and implement projects was pilot-year funding while the process was being established. As you prepare for the first cycle of participatory budgeting, we continue to ask you to dedicate 1% of the FY25 operating budget to be determined through participatory budgeting. Even if the first cycle of participatory budgeting does not start until the beginning of FY25, it is all the more reason to invest a more meaningful amount of money in the process so residents across the City can feel the impact of the program from the start. Major cities around the world practice PB. In Paris residents control 5% of the city's budget, Seattle just finalized a $30M PB cycle and Nashville residents get to vote on $10M. In contrast, Boston's current alloca tion is less than $4 million for PB projects. This funding is even smaller compared to our neighbors in Cam- bridge and Somerville, in terms of funding per capita ($4.60 per capita in Boston compared to $17.10 and $12.50 in Cambridge and Somerville, respectively). Cities with robust funding have measurable impacts on improving residents' quality of life by shifting municipal spending to areas of greater need. In contrast, PB processes without meaningful funding result in depressed engagement and turnout. As you finalize the design of the participatory budgeting process, we also urge you to include clear and specific goals around advancing racial and economic equity. Participatory Budgeting is unique among city processes because it's a binding participatory process, in which residents are the ones who propose, narrow down, and vote on ideas. Don't limit the process to only gathering resident input, but rather ensure that it turns over full decision-making power to residents. The process will only achieve its goal of building trust if residents have full say over which ideas to prioritize. As our Mayor, we hope you honor the will of the voters and meaningfully fund Boston's Participatory Budgeting process in FY25. We envision a city where decisions are made for and by the people, and Boston becomes a national beacon for robust local democracy. Sincerely. Fatema Ahmad, Executive Director, Muslim Justice League Marcos Belecke, Board President, Dorchester Food Co-op Elsa Gomes Bondlow Social Equity Access Fund Katky Brown, Executive Director Boston Texant Coalition Karen Chen, Executive Director, Chinese Progressive Association Carolyn Chou, Executive Director, Homes for All Massachusetts Cheryl Crawford, Executive Director Mass VOTE Sasha Costanza Chock, Faculty, Harvard University and Director of Programs, OneProject.org Vicki DiLorenzo, Executive Director Right to the City Boston Exid Eckstein, Co-Coordinator, PILOT Action Group Ryan Fielder, Director of Coalitions. Policyand Grassroots Organizing. Boston Ujima Project Priscilla Flint, Executive Director Marcus Anthony Hall Educational Institute (MAHEID) Betty Francisco, , Boston Impact Initiative Samuel M. Gebrs, CEO, Black Lion Strategies; Professor of the Practice, Tufts University Mallory Hanora and Saski James, Co-Directors, Families for Justice as Healing Tito Jackson, CEO, Apex Noire, and former Boston City Councilor Andrea James, Founder and Executive Director, The National Council for Incarcerated and Formerly Incarcerated Women and Girls Kevin Lam, Co-Executive Director Asian American Resource Workshop Kendra Lara, Community Leader and Former District 6 City Councilor Rita Lara, Maverick Landing Community Services Pamela A. Leins, Executive Director Boston Education Fund (BEDF) Anna Leslie, Executive Director Allston Brighton Health Collaborative Eric Leslie, Lead Organizers Union Capital Boston Mike Leyba and Denise Matthews-Turner, Co-Executive Directors, City Life/Vid Urbana Exy Loto, Lead Coordinator, Neighbors United for a Better East Boston (NUBE) Marvin Martin, Executive Director, Action for Equity Sharelle Olivier, Executive Director Mattapan Food and Fitness Coalition Ines Palmarin, Executive Director St. Stephen's Youth Programs Mimi Ramos, Executive Director, New England United for Justice James Raza, Founder and Worker Owner Democracy Brewing Leslie Reid, Chief Executive Officer, Madison Park Development Corporation Ed Shoemaker, Executive Director Ranked Choice Boston John Smith, Executive Director, Dudley Street Neighborhood Initiative Shanique Spaulding, Executive Director, Massachusetts Voter Table Jalina Suggs, Director of Boston, Union Capital Boston Aaron Tanaka, Executive Director Center for Economic Democracy Daige Tyndal, Executive Director Alternatives for Community and Environment (ACE) Angela Williams Mitchell, Director, Boston Jobs Coalition Armani White, Lead Organizer Reclaim Roxbury Lora Wondolewski, Director of Advancement and Communications, Peace Development Fund Luz Zambrano, General Coordinator, Center for Cooperative Development and Solidarity CCDS ABBA BETTER BUDGET ALLIANCE March , 2024 Dear Mayor Wu , As community , business , education and nonprofit leaders across Boston , we urge you to allocate $ 40 million ( -1 % of operating budget ) to the City's new Participatory Budgeting ( PB ) process . We understand , based on your comments last year , that the initial $ 4 million allocated to the Office of Participatory Budgeting to run the process and implement projects was pilot - year funding while the process was being established . As you prepare for the first cycle of participatory budgeting , we continue to ask you to dedicate 1 % of the FY25 operating budget to be determined through participatory budgeting . Even if the first cycle of participatory budgeting does not start until the beginning of FY25 , it is all the more reason to invest a more meaningful amount of money in the process so residents across the City can feel the impact of the program from the start . Major cities around the world practice PB . In Paris residents control 5 % of the city's budget , Seattle just finalized a $ 30M PB cycle and Nashville residents get to vote on $ 10M . In contrast , Boston's current alloca tion is less than $ 4 million for PB projects . This funding is even smaller compared to our neighbors in Cam- bridge and Somerville , in terms of funding per capita ( $ 4.60 per capita in Boston compared to $ 17.10 and $ 12.50 in Cambridge and Somerville , respectively ) . Cities with robust funding have measurable impacts on improving residents ' quality of life by shifting municipal spending to areas of greater need . In contrast , PB processes without meaningful funding result in depressed engagement and turnout . As you finalize the design of the participatory budgeting process , we also urge you to include clear and specific goals around advancing racial and economic equity . Participatory Budgeting is unique among city processes because it's a binding participatory process , in which residents are the ones who propose , narrow down , and vote on ideas . Don't limit the process to only gathering resident input , but rather ensure that it turns over full decision - making power to residents . The process will only achieve its goal of building trust if residents have full say over which ideas to prioritize . As our Mayor , we hope you honor the will of the voters and meaningfully fund Boston's Participatory Budgeting process in FY25 . We envision a city where decisions are made for and by the people , and Boston becomes a national beacon for robust local democracy . Sincerely . Fatema Ahmad , Executive Director , Muslim Justice League Marcos Belecke , Board President , Dorchester Food Co - op Elsa Gomes Bondlow Social Equity Access Fund Katky Brown , Executive Director Boston Texant Coalition Karen Chen , Executive Director , Chinese Progressive Association Carolyn Chou , Executive Director , Homes for All Massachusetts Cheryl Crawford , Executive Director Mass VOTE Sasha Costanza Chock , Faculty , Harvard University and Director of Programs , OneProject.org Vicki DiLorenzo , Executive Director Right to the City Boston Exid Eckstein , Co - Coordinator , PILOT Action Group Ryan Fielder , Director of Coalitions . Policyand Grassroots Organizing . Boston Ujima Project Priscilla Flint , Executive Director Marcus Anthony Hall Educational Institute ( MAHEID ) Betty Francisco , , Boston Impact Initiative Samuel M. Gebrs , CEO , Black Lion Strategies ; Professor of the Practice , Tufts University Mallory Hanora and Saski James , Co - Directors , Families for Justice as Healing Tito Jackson , CEO , Apex Noire , and former Boston City Councilor Andrea James , Founder and Executive Director , The National Council for Incarcerated and Formerly Incarcerated Women and Girls Kevin Lam , Co - Executive Director Asian American Resource Workshop Kendra Lara , Community Leader and Former District 6 City Councilor Rita Lara , Maverick Landing Community Services Pamela A. Leins , Executive Director Boston Education Fund ( BEDF ) Anna Leslie , Executive Director Allston Brighton Health Collaborative Eric Leslie , Lead Organizers Union Capital Boston Mike Leyba and Denise Matthews - Turner , Co - Executive Directors , City Life / Vid Urbana Exy Loto , Lead Coordinator , Neighbors United for a Better East Boston ( NUBE ) Marvin Martin , Executive Director , Action for Equity Sharelle Olivier , Executive Director Mattapan Food and Fitness Coalition Ines Palmarin , Executive Director St. Stephen's Youth Programs Mimi Ramos , Executive Director , New England United for Justice James Raza , Founder and Worker Owner Democracy Brewing Leslie Reid , Chief Executive Officer , Madison Park Development Corporation Ed Shoemaker , Executive Director Ranked Choice Boston John Smith , Executive Director , Dudley Street Neighborhood Initiative Shanique Spaulding , Executive Director , Massachusetts Voter Table Jalina Suggs , Director of Boston , Union Capital Boston Aaron Tanaka , Executive Director Center for Economic Democracy Daige Tyndal , Executive Director Alternatives for Community and Environment ( ACE ) Angela Williams Mitchell , Director , Boston Jobs Coalition Armani White , Lead Organizer Reclaim Roxbury Lora Wondolewski , Director of Advancement and Communications , Peace Development Fund Luz Zambrano , General Coordinator , Center for Cooperative Development and Solidarity CCDS ABBA BETTER BUDGET ALLIANCE