Participatory Budgeting: Delvin’s Vision for Putting District 12 Residents in Charge

You should be able to directly decide how some of your tax dollars are spent—especially in your own neighborhood. Participatory Budgeting (PB) is one of the most effective tools we can use to make local government more transparent, more accountable, and more connected to the people it serves.

Through PB, a portion of the city’s budget is set aside so that residents can submit ideas, vote on the proposals they support, and see those projects funded and built. It is a simple but powerful way to give people a real voice in shaping their community.

As your next Council member, I will fight to bring Participatory Budgeting to District 12. I want to see a PB program launched in our district that allows our residents to decide how to invest in the improvements that matter most to them—whether it’s sidewalks, street lighting, parks, community centers, public art, or traffic calming.

Participatory Budgeting can also be a tool for rebuilding trust in government. It shows people exactly how their tax dollars are being used—and it gives them a direct hand in deciding the outcomes. Across the country, PB has been shown to strengthen civic engagement, increase turnout, and foster community leadership.

We’ve seen the success of PB pilots in other parts of the city. In 2020, Councilman Amir Farokhi launched “Downtown Decides!” which gave residents a say in $1 million of transportation funding. The pilot was a major success—with thousands of residents participating and 17 community-chosen projects now under construction.

As your representative for District 12, my goal will be to:

1. Launch a PB program in District 12, so our residents can directly shape local investments.

2. Push for a citywide PB fund, with an annual budget set aside for residents to allocate—ensuring this tool is available to neighborhoods across Atlanta.

3. Create a simple, accessible process, so that every resident—no matter their background—can take part in deciding how public money is spent.

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Your voice. Your tax dollars. Your priorities.

With Participatory Budgeting, we can make District 12 government work for you—by giving you the power to decide how your tax dollars are used in your community.