Mayor Katjana Ballantyne has announced the winning projects from Somerville’s second Participatory Budgeting cycle. More than 4,000 residents voted to determine how to invest $1 million in community-generated ideas.

“Participatory Budgeting puts the power of public funds directly in our community’s hands,” said Mayor Ballantyne. “I’m so proud of the creativity, collaboration, and care that our residents continue to bring to this process. These winning projects reflect what matters most to our community, and we can’t wait to bring them to life.”

The $1 million from Cycle 1 was allocated to five projects totaling $955,000 and the remaining unallocated funds have supported additional projects in this cycle for a total of $1.045 million.

Winning Projects

The following six ideas received the most votes and will be funded for implementation:

• Expanded Afterschool Programs – $150,000: More youth enrichment opportunities for Somerville families.
• Fresh Food for Community Fridges – $220,000: A walk-in fridge and increased fresh produce and meals to boost local food access.
• Bike Network Guarantee – $400,000: Funding to build at least one mile of separated bike lanes, aligned with the City’s Bicycle Network Plan.
• Public Community Composting – $125,000: A new pilot program for rodent-resistant compost drop-off bins around the city.
• Pollinator Gardens – $30,000: New native plant gardens in parks to support bees, butterflies, and other essential pollinators.
• Outsmart Somerville Rats – $120,000: Additional SMART boxes and expanded rat control education for residents.

“It’s been a joy to read through the creative ideas submitted and work with a group of such kind and thoughtful community members to select ideas for the ballot,” added Megan Huckenpahler, Budget Analyst for the city, who runs the program. “Stay tuned for more implementation of projects from our first round of funding later this summer.”

Next Steps

The city will begin implementation of the winning projects this summer. To learn more about Participatory Budgeting and how to get involved in future cycles, visit www.somervillema.gov/PB.

About Participatory Budgeting

Participatory Budgeting is a democratic process that allows residents to decide directly how to spend a portion of the city’s capital funds. In this second cycle, over 700 ideas were submitted by community members. A team of volunteer Budget Delegates then worked with city staff to vet, combine, and refine the ideas into 20 final ballot proposals.