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:

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

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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

  • A woman with ringlet hair is smiling for a selfie indoors.  The image is in black and white.

    Pat Allison

  • A man wearing a sweater stands against a wall, showcasing a portrait with visible facial features including a forehead, chin, and cheek.

    Quincy Davis

  • Person with short straight hair sitting indoors, wearing a light pink jacket over a black top and smiling at the camera.

    Linda Dothard

  • A man stands in a room, smiling. He is wearing a dress shirt. The background features a whiteboard against a wall.

    Kakozi Olivier Elangi

  • Person smiling, wearing a black top.

    Steve Gottcent

  • Ramsey Vesey Jr

  • Person with curly blonde hair and a beige top, smiling.

    Isabel Watts