Cambridge Halves Participatory Budgeting Funding to $500,000

Cambridge will halve its allocation for participatory budgeting this year, reducing the program’s budget to $500,000, even as city officials say they expect funding to increase in future years.

The city’s 13th annual Participatory Budgeting cycle opened last week. The program allows community members to propose projects and residents to vote directly on how a portion of the city budget is spent.

Residents can submit public improvement proposals through Oct. 11. In March 2027, any Cambridge resident age 12 or older, including non-citizens, can vote on which of the final projects will get funded.

While the city set a $1 million budget for each of the past two cycles, City spokesperson Jeremy H. Warnick attributed the reduction to broader economic conditions and efforts to rein in the city’s spending in a statement on Monday.

“The amount we have allocated in this year’s cycle is less than prior years. This is due largely in part to macro-economic conditions and the City’s focus on lowering budget growth,” he wrote in a statement.

The $500,000 allocation matches the amount initially set aside for the program’s inaugural cycle in 2014 and its seventh cycle in 2020. The reduction comes as Cambridge tightens the purse strings to combat a decline in federal grants, aiming to avoid long-term strain on municipal programs.

Although the city is cutting funding this year, Warnick wrote that officials expect the allocation to grow in the years ahead.

“We anticipate the funding level for Participatory Budgeting to increase incrementally in future years through our 5-year capital plan,” he wrote.

The city’s last Participatory Budgeting cycle drew votes from more than 10,000 residents — the third consecutive year to see voter turnout top 10,000.

Nearly half of the roughly $1 million ultimately awarded in Cambridge’s 2026 cycle funded transit-related projects, including sidewalk repairs, pedestrian intersection upgrades, transportation assistance for low-income residents, and concrete barriers for bike lanes. Other winning projects included $250,000 for basketball court repairs and equipment, as well as smaller initiatives focused on school supplies, rodent control, and public gardens.

In the 12 years since Cambridge launched its Participatory Budgeting process, residents have proposed more than 10,000 ideas and cast more than 76,000 votes. The city has committed more than $11 million to more than 80 projects.

This year, proposals fall into four categories centered around community resources; the environment; facilities, parks, and recreation; and transportation, streets, and sidewalks. Residents can submit projects aimed at meeting specific neighborhood or citywide needs.

More than 200 ideas have already been submitted. Near Harvard, one resident proposed building a free miniature golf course near Harvard Yard, while other proposals include hiring goats to clear overgrown lots and adding sheltered bike parking.

After idea collection, a group of resident volunteers will review the submissions, assessing feasibility, impact and cost before city staff select roughly 20 proposals to appear on the final ballot. Voting is typically open for roughly a week in March.

Warnick wrote that, though the budget for this year’s projects has been cut, the city will maintain its commitment to giving residents a direct role in shaping how public dollars are spent.

“It remains a significant investment that will allow us to continue to be responsive to what’s important to the community,” he wrote.

—Staff writer Risha Sinha can be reached at [email protected].