Participatory budgeting in Hrubieszów, Poland, as an example of residents' sustainable participation in shaping public expenditure

Abstract

The article contains a case study of residents' participation in the process of shaping the city's public expenditure through participatory budgeting. The analyzed data were collected as part of the National Science Center [anonymyzed]. The research methods and tools used in the study included desk research, CAWI, a survey and scenario interviews. The case of Hrubieszów is only a part of our research that deserves a closer look due to the pro-participatory attitude of the significant number of the city officials, social activists, and residents. There is also a certain level of enthusiasm, despite the fact that participatory budgeting arrived in this city relatively late - in 2017. Another interesting fact is that it is the smallest participatory budget among the twelve Polish cities thoroughly examined in our project. In this article we will present the functioning of this process both from the perspective of the local authorities and officials, as well as the project applicants and residents involved in the participatory budgeting process. In our analysis we are looking for local signs of readiness for cooperation which, in favorable conditions, focus on deliberative moments and are followed by a deliberative stance, constituting a basis for pro-participation activities.