In the last few years, Denver officials have tried to help residents feel more plugged into local government by letting them decide how to spend millions of dollars.
The idea is called "participatory budgeting," or PB, and it gives communities a direct vote on a menu of options — ideas they helped generate — to improve their neighborhoods.
The city began it's first PB program in 2022, leaving $2 million in spending up to residents' discretions. Denverites opted for better lighting in Montbello, park upgrades in East Colfax, new community gardens and more.
In October, Denver opened a second PB process, which they've started calling the People's Budget. There was $1 million available this time, and it was only open to residents of seven neighborhoods, from West Colfax to Westwood.
The campaign received over 2,000 ranked-choice ballots cast in the process. Organizers worked to green-light as many of those options as they could afford.
On Wednesday, residents and city workers met at the Westwood Community Center to celebrate the end of that process and announce the winners.
Evon Lopez, a resident who helped organize this round, said she was so proud to see what they'd accomplished.
"Together we recruited participants, organized think tanks, and brainstormed exciting ideas for the West Denver area," Lopez said to the crowd. "Together, we turned conversations into actionable solutions that will shape about their near future as we look ahead."
Here's what will get funded:
The top vote-winner was a $356,250 project for intersection safety on the west side. That money will cover improvements for up to four dangerous intersections, and could include new stop signs, crosswalks and lighting.
In second place was a $306,250 initiative to increase food access in these seven neighborhoods. This money will go to a nonprofit, which will figure out how to achieve that goal.
"They will then somehow add food access to neighborhoods, either through mobile food trucks that offer low-cost or no-cost groceries, pop ups, farmer's markets — all kinds of infrastructure — to make sure we have food distribution in a fair and just way in West Denver," said Kiki Turner, Denver's People's Budget administrator, during the Wednesday night party.
In third place was a $181,250 measure to add trees to as many as ten area parks. The city calls this one "Oxygen and Shade for All!"
And in fourth place was a $156,250 plan to help residents here upgrade air conditioning and heating systems. This one will go to the city's Department of Housing Stability, which will issue a request for proposals and dole it out as a grant to a nonprofit that will work with residents.
