Participatory Budgeting
Giving people real power over real money.
Participatory budgeting (PB) is a democratic process that lets community members decide how to spend part of a public budget. Instead of decisions being made solely by officials or behind closed doors, PB puts that power in the hands of the people who live, work, and invest in the community.
Through PB, neighbors come together to share ideas, propose projects, and vote on how funding should be used. Whether it’s improving parks, supporting youth programs, or adding neighborhood lighting, the goal is to make sure public dollars reflect what matters most to the community.
It’s real people deciding how to spend real money. The process helps build trust, encourages transparency, and gives residents a stronger sense of ownership in the future of their neighborhood.
For more information, visit mlkcenter.org/westend or call
West End Coordinator:
Virginia Jarrett: jarrett.virginia@rigov.org
309 732 2976
Sign up to receive email updates at mlkcenter.org/westend
See also facebook.com/MLKCenterRockIsland
Learn how you can get involved.
The West End Revitalization has secured $40,000 for West End residents, business owners, and workers to invest in the community in 2025.
We expect that this will become an annual process, with larger amounts in future years.
Watch a video about PB
Real Money, Real Power: Participatory Budgeting
Students Take the Lead with Participatory Budgeting
At Rock Island High School and Thurgood Marshall Learning Center, students are doing something powerful: deciding how to spend real money to make their schools better.
It’s part of a process called Participatory Budgeting (PB), and it’s helping young people in the West End learn how to lead, speak up, and shape their community.
Through PB, students:
Come up with ideas to improve their school or community
Talk with their peers to gather input
Research costs and feasibility
Present their proposals
Vote on the best ideas to fund
Along the way, they build valuable skills like:
Public speaking
Teamwork and collaboration
Budgeting and financial literacy
Research, surveying, and interviewing
Problem-solving and critical thinking
PB also helps:
Strengthen relationships between students, families, teachers, and school staff
Encourage more investment and pride in the school community
Support smarter, more transparent spending
Give students confidence in their ability to create real change
This is more than a school project. It’s a hands-on way for West End students to lead and build the future they want to see.
Participatory Budgeting Steering Committee 2025
-
Pat Allison
-
Quincy Davis
-
Linda Dothard
-
Kakozi Olivier Elangi
-
Steve Gottcent
-
Ramsey Vesey Jr
-
Isabel Watts