ExplanationTThis ordinance authorizes the City Clerk to enter into a service contract with The Participatory Budgeting Project, Inc. a non-profit corporation, in support of Columbus City Council’s capital budget participatory budgeting initiative, and to reappropriate funds as needed in support of the program.
Participatory Budgeting (PB) is a democratic process where community members directly give input on how to spend a portion of a public budget. The goal of establishing a Participatory Budgeting (PB) initiative in Columbus is to ensure public spending aligns with community values, strengthens democracy, and promotes equity across neighborhoods.
In July of 2025 Council added a $9 million appropriation to the city’s Capital Improvement Program for year 2026 to fund proposals solicited via a community engagement process titled participatory budgeting. In partnership with the Department of Finance and Management and various administrative departments, Council intends to execute a participatory budgeting process in 2026 to solicit proposals for the 2026 Capital Improvement Budget.
In October 2025, Council adopted ordinance 2826-2025 to appropriate funds in support of conducting the PB initiative. At year end, appropriations lapsed; there is therefore the need to reestablish appropriations. Additionally, this ordinance will authorize a service contract with the Participatory Budgeting Initiative (PBP). Council contracted with PBP in 2025 in a consulting capacity, and PBP will continue their work this year as a contracted consultant.
This ordinance is being entered into under the non-profit contracting provisions of Section 329 of Columbus City Codes. The services provided by the Participatory Budgeting Initiative cannot be provided by existing city staff because there are no staff with the requisite experience or expertise necessary to meet the needs of the initiative.
Fiscal Impact: Funding is available within the Neighborhood Initiatives subfund.
Emergency...
Click here for full text