People’s Budget gives $1 million boost to West Denver infrastructure

DENVER – The ballots are in for Denver’s second participatory budgeting process, where residents of all ages ranked their top neighborhood projects to invest $1 million of capital funds into their communities. More than 2,000 rank-choice ballots were cast in this cycle of the People’s Budget, and four projects rose to the top and earning funding for design and construction beginning in 2025: 

“Over the past year, our community weighed in and worked alongside their city government to be part of a solution. This is the kind of collaborative mindset that spurs equitable investments and lasting progress in our city,” Mayor Mike Johnston said. “In the People’s Budget, the community has the opportunity to problem-solve with the City, and the four projects being funded demonstrate that, together, we can deliver great government and vibrant neighborhoods.”  

The projects funded through Cycle 2 of the People’s Budget align with both mayoral goals for safe and affordable neighborhoods and with recommendations from neighborhood planning initiatives for the West Denver area, including increased tree canopy, and healthy food access. This cycle of the program built upon recent neighborhood engagement and planning efforts, including the adopted West Area Neighborhood Plan and other public outreach efforts across Barnum, Barnum West, Sun Valley, West Colfax, Westwood, Valverde and Villa Park.  

“When community members come together to create a neighborhood plan, they bring energy, ideas and a strong desire to see them through,” said Manish Kumar, executive director of Community Planning and Development. “The People’s Budget empowers these neighborhoods to realize their plan through actual projects. This is a great example of how city government and residents can collaborate to improve Denver’s neighborhoods.”  

Cycle 2 began in fall 2023 when a group of community members, called the Steering Committee, built the guidebook for the program and identified eligibility requirements, setting the course for an inclusive process. A core goal of participatory budgeting is to provide space for residents who may not have engaged with their government before. Often, they face the highest barriers to traditional civic processes, including undocumented residents, communities of color, previously incarcerated residents, youth and people with disabilities. 

In spring 2024, the program received more than 1,000 ideas or affirmations, many of which came from those at schools, food pantries and affordable housing sites. City staff also collected ideas at Denver County jails, where currently incarcerated individuals who had lived or worked in the West Denver area had the opportunity to submit ideas. Over the summer, residents came together to work as project delegates to review all community submissions and score projects on an equity-based rubric. Through an iterative process with community members and city staff from various agencies, residents identified the top ideas and drafted specific scope language and budgets for each project.   

“The People’s Budget empowers residents to be active players in our democracy,” said District 3 City Councilwoman Jamie Torres. “Residents know their neighborhoods the best, so we need spaces in government where we can elevate community perspectives to work together and invest in projects that are really going to make a difference.”  

In October, 14 infrastructure projects filled the community ballot, spanning a variety of important needs from housing and food access to substance misuse and inclusive outdoor play. For many, the People’s Budget was their first taste of a municipal election or a civic process. Nearly half of participants reported they had not voted in traditional elections because of their age, lack of documentation, incarceration status or simply choosing not to vote.  

But with a fun rank-choice ballot complete with stickers to identify top selections, the People’s Budget makes civics more accessible and more exciting for Denverites. Over 60 percent of all voters identified as a person of color and nearly 40 percent of ballots were cast in a language other than English, primarily Spanish and Vietnamese. Young people came out to the polls as well, and the program hosted civic lessons with fourth- and fifth-grade classes to teach young students about infrastructure and voting. 

“A good government takes work, and it takes government meeting community members where we are,” said Craig Allen, a resident of the Sun Valley neighborhood and a member of the program’s steering committee. “The People’s Budget puts the people first. I want everyone to have this kind of access to their government.” 

City staff and community groups will start implementing the four winning infrastructure projects in 2025. Two of the projects will be led by city agencies, while the other two, for mobile food access and heat relief, will be bid out to a nonprofit or community organization to lead the construction and implementation. While projects get underway, the City will also begin to plan Cycle 3 of the People’s Budget after the City Council approved $2 million of funding in the city’s 2025 annual budget.  

Residents can learn more about the program and track the status of funded projects from Cycles 1 and 2 on the People’s Budget website at www.denvergov.org/DenverPB. 

Photo caption: CPD Senior City Planner Christin Brandow distributes certificates to project delegates (from left) Maria Fernandez, Kelli Heit, Moriah Rodriguez, Chris Dowdy and Toan Le at the People's Budget banquet on Dec. 18, 2024.

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