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Long Beach celebrates 10 years of participatory budgeting; youth vote on $550,000 in projects
Summary
Youth leaders reported a sharp rise in participation for the city’s youth participatory budgeting process: 495 ideas submitted citywide, 25 advanced to proposal development and 1,744 votes cast so far to allocate $550,000 for summer youth programs.
Long Beach presented results and a status update on its Youth Power participatory budgeting (PB) program on April 22, marking the 10th anniversary of the city's participatory budgeting process and the third year of a youth‑led citywide rollout.
Giselle Becerra Murillo of the Youth Leadership Institute told the City Council that PB returns real decision‑making power to young people and runs in three stages: idea collection, proposal development and voting. "The Youth Power PB supports positive youth development efforts by giving youth in Long Beach real power over real money," she said.
Princeton (last name not specified in transcript), representing the Invest in Youth Coalition, reported a large increase in engagement in year three: youth submitted 495 ideas during four youth‑only idea collection events; a youth steering committee selected 25 ideas to move to proposal development with nonprofit partners; and as of the morning of April 22, the program had received 1,744 votes. Council members and staff said the participation figures were a milestone; Mayor Rex Richardson noted that 1,744 votes was comparable to the turnout that used to elect council members in earlier years, a remark he used to underscore the civic engagement impact of the PB program.
Kaisha Hearns, a first‑time PB participant, described her experience serving on the steering committee and as a youth facilitator: "Being able to help shape where real city dollars go... was both eye opening and empowering," she told the council.
City staff confirmed this year’s PB allocation is $550,000 dedicated to youth summer programs. Officials said the Office of Youth Development hired a full‑time youth development coordinator to organize the process and that nonprofit partners will support proposal development and implementation.
Councilmembers praised the program for combining civic education and tangible investments in youth services. No formal council action was required for the presentation. Staff and youth leaders said they plan to continue outreach, to track implementation of funded projects and to report results back to the council as the projects are carried out.
