Participatory Budget as One of the Instruments of the Concept of Public Governance on the Example of the City of Lublin

Abstract

Theoretical background: Participatory budgeting enables the co-creation of local budgets through discussions between residents and local authorities. Thanks to this, it is possible to implement those investments that are important for the local community. By voting, the citizens may participate in the process of creating local development. Purpose of the article: The purpose of the article is the diagnosis of the concept of public governance and tools used within the framework of co-management, with particular emphasis on the participatory budget on the example of the city of Lublin in 2015–2021. Research methods: The analysis covered existing data from budget resolutions of individual cities, reports from the Lublin Research Group and from Internet sources. The publication includes both quantitative and qualitative research. Main findings: The participatory budget of Lublin is characterized by a relatively high share of funds allocated to the implementation of tasks in total budget expenditure compared to other provincial cities in Poland. For several years, there has also been a noticeable decline in the turnout of people voting for projects under the participatory budget. Thanks to a detailed analysis of the functioning of the participatory budget of the city of Lublin, compared to other provincial cities in Poland, there is a need to promote the idea of social participation more strongly.