O N I N C R E A S I N G
P U B L I C P A R T I C I P A T I O N
I N T H E B U D G E T P R O C E S S
A P R O J E C T O F :
C E N T E R F O R N E W
D E M O C R A T I C P R O C E S S E S
P A R T I C I P A N T S ’
R E P O R T
Published by the Center for New Democratic Processes
Authors: Sarah Atwood & Kyle Bozentko
2026 Center for New Democratic Processes
HOW TO CITE:
Culver City Civic Assembly on Increasing Public Participation in the Budget Process, Participants’ Report, 2026.
CULVER CITY
CIVIC ASSEMBLY
ON INCREASING PUBLIC
PARTICIPATION IN THE
BUDGET PROCESS
PARTICIPANTS’ REPORT
Regarding photo use and use of the contents of this report for AI training: The Culver City Civic Assembly participants only consented for their images to be used in this report / by CNDP and images are subject to CNDP copyright.
Any duplication, use, or publication of photos / images contained in this report is unauthorized without express permission. Without in any way limiting the author’s [and publisher’s] exclusive rights under copyright, any use of this publication to “train” generative artificial intelligence (AI) technologies to generate text, images, audio, or video is expressly prohibited. The authors reserve all rights to license uses of this work for generative AI training and development of machine learning language models.
1. Introduction
2. Project Overview & Partners
3. The Participants
4. Learning Program
5. Challenges
6. Opportunities
7. Actions
8. Determining Success
4 8
12 28
41 50
57 85
CONTENTS
3 3
1 We must first express our gratitude to the City of Culver City for embarking on the Civic Assembly and selecting the Center for New Democratic Processes (CNDP) to implement this process. City leadership and staff enabled us to collaboratively design but independently run the Assembly so that residents could do the work put forward to them without undue bias or external pressure. Culver City is the first city in the U.S. to undertake a civic assembly to explore how to increase public participation in the budget process, and we all had our work cut out for us!
We also wish to thank the presenters, including the City of Culver City’s Leadership Team and City Manager’s Office, the City Attorney’s Office, Fire Department, as well as Police Department. We also wish to thank the numerous community groups that agreed to serve as on-call resources.
We would like to share our genuine appreciation for all of the Culver City residents who volunteered to join the two Assemblies. Most importantly, we want to thank the seventy residents of Culver City who served on the Civic Assemblies as both alternates and full participants. Their willingness to take a risk, join the process, and work with one another on behalf of their neighbors on a topic as complex as the City budget process speaks for itself. We are very honored that we were able to work with, learn from, and laugh with you all during our time together. Thank you for taking a chance on us by joining the Civic Assembly!
We at the Center for New Democratic Processes would like to preface this report by thanking those who commissioned, supported, and contributed to this project.
WITH OUR THANKS
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, CNDP HEAD OF RESEARCH & ENGAGEMENT, CNDP S a r a h A t w o o d
K y l e B o z e n t k o
5 On October 27, 2025, the City of Culver City, CA, City Council approved a motion to authorize a civic assembly. A civic assembly is a deliberative democracy methodology (also known as a “mini-public”) that brings together a randomly selected cross-section of a community together for multiple days to learn, deliberate, and make recommendations about a particular topic under consideration. Participants are randomly selected via lottery and compensated for their time. Assembly participants hear from a range of subject matter experts and community members who share their perspectives about the topic at hand. Participants then produce recommendations that are delivered to the commissioning sponsor.
Funding for the Culver City Civic Assembly on Increasing Public Participation in the Budget Process was allocated by the City of Culver City during the 2025-2026 Fiscal Year. On December 1, 2025, the City Council approved a professional services agreement with CNDP to design and implement the civic assembly following a competitive selection process. CNDP worked with City staff and an Ad Hoc Committee of City Council members to develop the demographic categories (used for the random selection process) and the Assembly remit. The demographic categories were approved by the City of Culver City City Council at the January 12, 2026 meeting. The City of Culver City City Council unanimously approved the Assembly remit (“How might the City of Culver City increase public participation in the budget process?”) at the March 16, 2026 meeting.
The Culver City Civic Assembly on Increasing Public
Participation in the Budget Process brought together sixty residents over two Civic Assemblies to learn and deliberate about how the City can increase public participation in its budget process.
INTRODUCTION
6 The original Civic Assembly plan was to convene a single group of thirty, randomly- selected Culver City residents to meet for a total of six days. On April 22, 2026, the City announced an updated timeline for the Civic Assembly as the City was simultaneously shifting to a priority-based budgeting process and needed to ensure that staff time could be adequately dedicated to delivering the 2026-27 proposed budget. In order for City Staff to also have the capacity to contribute to the Civic Assembly, CNDP was directed to convene two separate cohorts of residents in May and July 2026. The May and July Assemblies’ work was interconnected, with results from the May Assembly serving as the foundation for the July Assembly’s activities and deliberations.
The Civic Assembly recommendations will inform the City of Culver City’s ongoing work to engage residents in decision making about the budget and budget process in future budget cycles.
7 3
2 The first Civic Assembly was held in May, 2026. Thirty Culver City residents, stratified and randomly selected (using Panelot, a system for randomly selecting panels) to reflect the approved demographic profile of Culver City, gathered for three days. May Assembly members learned and deliberated about the City’s governance, structure, budget, budget process, as well as how City departments determine needs and develop budget requests.
Participants then identified and prioritized challenges and opportunities related to bringing more residents into the City’s budget process. May Assembly participants also surfaced actions that could be taken by the City to encourage residents and other stakeholders to meaningfully contribute to the development of the budget. An interim update on the Civic Assembly process, including participant remarks, was presented to the City Council on June 22, 2026.
The second Civic Assembly in July brought together a new group of thirty stratified, randomly selected Culver City residents (once again using Panelot). This group built upon the May Assembly’s work, further reviewing and refining actions that could be taken by the City. July Assembly participants heard from a panel of May Assembly members as well as ten Culver City-based community organizations / City department representatives who shared additional ideas for increasing awareness of, and participation in, the City budget process. The community organization roster was composed of groups nominated by May Assembly participants and City Council members. July Assembly participants then reviewed, added to, and prioritized actions the City could take in order to address the most significant challenges and take advantage of top opportunities for increasing public participation in the budget process.
PROJECT OVERVIEW
9 Assembly participants were tasked with learning,
deliberating, and making recommendations about how the
City of Culver City might increase public participation in the budget process.
This report represents the collective work and recommendations of both the May and July Assemblies. It is not meant to be an exhaustive recounting of their work together, but rather a summary document that establishes participant priorities and their key recommendations for City Council, City Staff, and the broader Culver City community.
Assembly participants’ work shines light upon the top challenges and top opportunities for increasing public participation in the budget process along with concrete steps for making progress towards that goal.
Astute readers will find that many Assembly participants volunteered with the express desire to support the City in its effort to engage the community, and the vast majority of Assembly members had never attended a City budget meeting in the past. They had a range of personal and professional backgrounds, and the majority were employed either part-time or full-time. They were caretakers, students, and professionals from a variety of fields. Above all else, Assembly members were a diverse cross-section of the city with various perspectives and a wide range of lived experiences. Their love for Culver City was evident in their determination to take on a challenging topic, and their collective work is the culmination of over 1,500 hours of participant time invested on behalf of their fellow Culver City residents.
The City of Culver City, California commissioned the Center for New Democratic Processes to conduct the Culver City Civic Assembly on Increasing Public Participation in the Budget Process. Culver City, CA, known as “The Heart of Screenland,” is an independent municipality (incorporated in 1917) with a population of 40,779 (according to the 2020 U.S. Census) located in the greater Los Angeles metropolitan area.
The City of Culver City, California commissioned the Center for New Democratic Processes (CNDP) to conduct the City of Culver City Civic Assembly on Increasing Public Participation in the Budget Process.
PROJECT PARTNERS
The Center for New Democratic Processes (CNDP) is a non-partisan, nonprofit civic engagement and research organization. CNDP has been designing and delivering mini- publics (citizens’ juries, civic assemblies, etc.) in the United States and globally since 1974 and has conducted more juries and assemblies than any other organization in the U.S. CNDP is committed to involving the public in addressing complex problems through deliberative public engagement initiatives.
11 3
3 THE
PARTICIPANTS
MAY
2026
Volunteer applicants for the May Civic
Assembly were recruited through
10,000 postcards sent to random
Culver City households, along with
supplemental outreach. When the City
modified the Assembly timeline,
recruitment was opened to any Culver
City resident aged 18+ (including those
who did not receive a postcard).
Over 200 residents volunteered to join
the May Assembly. Respondents were
stratified and randomly selected to
include a broadly representative mix of
Culver City based on demographic
categories reviewed and approved by
the City Council.
Catchment Area Culver City, CA
Recruitment Method random mailer
& supplemental outreach
Volunteers 200+
Selection Process stratification
& random selection
MAY Assembly
SNAPSHOT
Age Cohort Target Range Actual
18 - 34 6 - 10 6
35 - 64 13 - 17 17
65 + 4 - 8 7
Gender
Female 13 - 18 15
Male 11 - 16 13
Non-binary / Transgender 1 - 3 2
Education Level
High School or Less 1 - 3 3
Some College or Associate’s 5 - 9 11
Bachelor’s Degree or Higher 14 - 18 16
Employment Status
Full Time 12 - 17 12
Part Time 4 - 9 8
Not in Labor Force 6 - 11 10
Homeowner / Renter
Homeowner 14 - 18 14
Renter 12 - 16 16
Party Affiliation
Democratic Party 17 - 21 19
Republican Party 1 - 3 3
Independent / Other Party 5 - 10 8
MAY Participant
DEMOGRAPHICS
15 Race / Ethnicity Target Range Actual
American Indian and Alaska
Native, Native Hawaiian and
Other Pacific Islander alone,
some Other race alone, 2 or
more races / Other
2 - 5 5
Asian / Asian American 4 - 8 4
Black or African American 2 - 5 4
Hispanic or Latino 4 - 8 4
White / European-American
alone 12 - 16 13
3 3
MAY Participant
DEMOGRAPHICS (continued)
THE
PARTICIPANTS
JULY
2026
Like the May Assembly, volunteer
applicants for the July Civic Assembly
were recruited through 10,000
postcards sent to random Culver City
households, along with supplemental
outreach. Residents aged 18+ were
invited to volunteer, regardless of
whether or not they received a
postcard.
Once again, over 200 Culver City
residents volunteered. As with the May
event, participants were stratified and
randomly selected to include a broadly
representative mix of Culver City
residents according to the same
demographic categories.
Catchment Area Culver City, CA
Recruitment Method random mailer
& supplemental outreach
Volunteers 200+
Selection Process stratification
& random selection
JULY Assembly
SNAPSHOT
Age Cohort Target Range Actual
18 - 34 7 - 9 8
35 - 64 15 - 17 16
65 + 5 - 7 6
Gender
Female 14 - 17 15
Male 12 - 15 13
Non-binary / Transgender 1 - 2 2
Education Level
High School or Less 5 - 8 6
Some College or Associate’s 6 - 9 6
Bachelor’s Degree or Higher 15 - 18 18
Employment Status
Full Time 13 - 16 13
Part Time 5 - 8 10
Not in Labor Force 7 - 10 7
Homeowner / Renter
Homeowner 15 - 18 17
Renter 12 - 15 13
Party Affiliation
Democratic Party 17 - 20 19
Republican Party 2 - 4 3
Independent / Other Party 6 - 9 8
JULY Participant
DEMOGRAPHICS
19 Race / Ethnicity Target Range Actual
American Indian and Alaska
Native, Native Hawaiian and
Other Pacific Islander alone,
some Other race alone, 2 or
more races / Other
2 - 4 3
Asian / Asian American 4 - 6 5
Black or African American 2 - 4 4
Hispanic or Latino 5 - 7 6
White / European-American
alone 12 - 14 12
3 3
JULY Participant
DEMOGRAPHICS (continued)
Culver City
NEIGHBORHOODS
Assembly volunteers were asked to confirm that they resided in Culver City and to identify their neighborhood. Neighborhood of residence was not used as a demographic category for the random selection of Assembly participants (as directed by the City of Culver City City Council).
21 0 1 2 3 4 5 6
B la i r H i lls
B la n c o / C u lv e r C r e s t
C la r k d a le
C u lv e r / W e s t
D o w n t o w n
F o x H i lls
J e f f e r s o n
L u c e r n e / H i g u e r a
M c L a u g h li n
M c M a n u s
P a r k E a s t
P a r k W e s t
S t u d i o V i lla g e
S u n k i s t P a r k
W a s h i n g t o n C u lv e r
MAY Participant
NEIGHBORHOOD DISTRIBUTION
22 0 1 2 3 4 5
B la i r H i lls
B la n c o / C u lv e r C r e s t
C la r k d a le
C u lv e r / W e s t
D o w n t o w n
F o x H i lls
J e f f e r s o n
L u c e r n e / H i g u e r a
M c L a u g h li n
M c M a n u s
P a r k E a s t
P a r k W e s t
S t u d i o V i lla g e
S u n k i s t P a r k
W a s h i n g t o n C u lv e r
JULY Participant
NEIGHBORHOOD DISTRIBUTION
23 PARTICIPANTS DESCRIBE THEMSELVES:
24 ADDITIONAL
PARTICIPANT INFO: MAY & JULY
16 average number of yearsliving in Culver City
From 1to50+ years
length of residency in Culver City
70%
of participants reported that they initially volunteered to support Culver City 59/60
of Assembly memberswould join again
Prior Participation in a
City Budget Event (ever)
YES
7 53
NO
Service on a City Committee
or Commission (ever)
YES
3 57
NO
Household
Income
< $125,000
28 15
> $125,000
N/A
17 25
PARTICIPANT EVALUATION:
EXPERIENCE & PROCESS
MAY & JULY
I felt comfortable sharing my opinions.
01020304050
Disagree StronglyDisagreeNeutralAgreeAgree Strongly
I felt comfortable asking questions.
01020304050
Disagree StronglyDisagreeNeutralAgreeAgree Strongly
CNDP encouraged me to thinkindependently and make up myown mind. 01020304050
Disagree StronglyDisagreeNeutralAgreeAgree Strongly
I had an equal opportunity to participatein the deliberations. 01020304050
Disagree StronglyDisagreeNeutralAgreeAgree Strongly
26 I think it's important for the
community to know that we came
together with our fellow residents to
do this, and even though none of us
knew much about the budget, nor did
we have similar backgrounds, we
were able to be productive because
we were respectful of our different
opinions, ready and willing to
participate, and willing to look past
our own agendas to work for the best
interest of the community.
Getting involved is simpler than you'd
expect - don't be scared!
- Assembly Participant
3 4
Participants at the Civic Assembly heard from and engaged with a range of subject matter experts to inform their
deliberations. Presenters provided information regarding their work within the City, their specific department/s (if applicable), and/or the broader Culver City community.
LEARNING PROGRAM
29 MAY ASSEMBLY
Introduction to the City of Culver City Government
Culver City Finance Department & Budget Process
Departmental Overview: Infrastructure & Innovation
Departmental Overview: Economic Development, Vitality, & Equity Departmental Panel A: City Clerk | Talent Development, Labor, & Inclusion Departmental Panel B: City Attorney | Fire | Police
JULY ASSEMBLY
Introduction to the City of Culver City Government
Culver City Finance Department & Budget Process
May Civic Assembly Participant Panel
Community Organization & City Department Panel A
Community Organization & City Department Panel B
Stephen Agostini, Chief Financial
Officer and Assistant City Manager,
presented on the work of the
Finance Department, as well as on
the budget process. Chief Financial
Officer Agostini presented at both
Assemblies.
Dana Anderson, Chief Human
Resources Officer, presented on the
work of the departments under the
Talent Development, Labor, &
Inclusion portfolio.
Christina Burrows, Assistant City
Attorney, presented on the work of
the Office of the City Attorney.
MAY Expert Witnesses:
CITY OF CULVER CITY
Lea Eriksen, Senior Assistant City
Manager, presented on the work of
the departments under the
Infrastructure & Innovation portfolio.
Senior Assistant City Manager
Eriksen presented at both
Assemblies.
30 Odis Jones, City Manager of Culver
City, provided participants with an
introduction to the structure,
governance, and operations of the
City of Culver City.
Chief Ken Powell, Chief, Culver City
Fire Department, presented on the
work of the Culver City Fire
Department.
Chief Jason Sims, Chief, Culver City
Police Department, presented on the
work of the Culver City Police
Department.
Adam Troy, Assistant City Manager,
presented on the Economic
Development, Vitality, & Equity
portfolio of departments. Assistant
City Manager Troy presented at
both Assemblies.
31 I n M a y , C i t y S t a f f s h a r e d a b o u t t h e g o v e r n a n c e s t r u c t u r e ,
o p e r a t i o n s , a n d s e r v i c e s p r o v i d e d b y t h e C i t y . T h e y a l s o i n t r o d u c e d p a r t i c i p a n t s t o t h e b u d g e t , b u d g e t p r o c e s s , a n d d i s c u s s e d h o w
c o m m u n i t y n e e d s i m p a c t a n d
s h a p e t h e C i t y ’ s b u d g e t a n d
b u d g e t p r o c e s s .
32 M a y A s s e m b l y p a r t i c i p a n t s
e n g a g e d w i t h C i t y S t a f f t h r o u g h e x t e n s i v e q u e s t i o n a n d a n s w e r
s e s s i o n s f o l l o w i n g e a c h
p r e s e n t a t i o n i n o r d e r f o r
p a r t i c i p a n t s t o r e c e i v e a d d i t i o n a l d e t a i l a n d c l a r i f i c a t i o n a b o u t C u l v e r C i t y ’ s g o v e r n m e n t ,
b u d g e t , a n d b u d g e t p r o c e s s .
33 Stephen Agostini, Chief Financial
Officer and Assistant City Manager,
presented on the work of the
Finance Department, as well as on
the budget process.
Jeanne Black, Our Culver,
introduced the work of Our Culver
during a Community Organization /
City Department Panel.
Lea Eriksen, Senior Assistant City
Manager, presented on the City’s
structure and contributed to a
Community Organization / City
Department Panel for the
Infrastructure & Innovation portfolio.
JULY Expert Witnesses:
MAY CIVIC ASSEMBLY MEMBERS,
COMMUNITY ORGANIZATIONS,
& THE CITY OF CULVER CITY
Deb Gregory, Ballona Creek
Renaissance, introduced the work of
Ballona Creek Renaissance during a
Community Organization / City
Department Panel.
34 Dustin Klemann, Chief
Communications & Public
Information Officer, contributed to a
Community Organization / City
Department Panel.
Darrel Menthe, Culver City
Downtown Business Association,
introduced the work of the
Downtown Business Association
during a Community Organization /
City Department Panel.
Travis Morgan, Livable Communities
Initiative, introduced the work of
Livable Communities Initiative during
a Community Organization / City
Department Panel.
Ron Ostrin, Culver City Coalition,
introduced the work of the Culver
City Coalition during a Community
Organization / City Department
Panel.
35 Adam Troy, Assistant City Manager,
contributed to a Community
Organization / City Department
Panel for the Economic
Development, Vitality, & Equity
portfolio of departments.
Jamie Wallace, Culver City
Neighbors United, introduced the
work of the Culver City Neighbors
United during a Community
Organization / City Department
Panel.
Andrew Weissman, Culver City
Chamber of Commerce, introduced
the work of the Culver City Chamber
of Commerce during a Community
Organization / City Department
Panel.
May Assembly Participants returned
in July to share about their work
serving on the first Civic Assembly
on Increasing Public Participation in
the Budget Process.
36 M a y A s s e m b l y m e m b e r s s e r v e d
a s p a n e l i s t s d u r i n g t h e J u l y
A s s e m b l y . T h e y s h a r e d a b o u t
t h e i r w o r k , t h e i r p e r s p e c t i v e s o n a n d e x p e r i e n c e s w i t h t h e C i t y a n d b u d g e t p r o c e s s , a s w e l l a s
r e c o m m e n d a t i o n s f o r h o w t h e C i t y c o u l d w o r k t o i n c r e a s e p u b l i c
p a r t i c i p a t i o n w i t h i n t h e p r o c e s s . 37 T h e J u l y A s s e m b l y s e l e c t e d
c o m m u n i t y o r g a n i z a t i o n s a n d C i t y D e p a r t m e n t s t o s e r v e a s r e s o u r c e s o n t w o p a n e l s . O r g a n i z a t i o n a l
r e p r e s e n t a t i v e s i n t r o d u c e d t h e i r w o r k a n d a n s w e r e d p a r t i c i p a n t
q u e s t i o n s .
38 39
PARTICIPANT EVALUATION:
INFORMATION - MAY & JULY
I learned a lot about the budget process and the challenges and opportunities the Cityfaces. 0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35
Disagree StronglyDisagreeNeutralAgreeAgree Strongly
The information I received helped me to participate effectively in the process. 0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35
Disagree StronglyDisagreeNeutralAgreeAgree Strongly
The presenters delivered useful information.
0 10 20 30 40 50
Disagree StronglyDisagreeNeutralAgreeAgree Strongly
Participants were asked to respond to the following questions about the information they received from panelists at the conclusion of each Assembly. 3 5
CHALLENGES
42 After hearing from each City
Department and deliberating with
one another, May Assembly
participants identified challenges
related to increasing public
participation in the budget
process. These were synthesized
and grouped into seven
categories. They then prioritized
the top challenges for increasing
public participation in the budget
process by distributing up to three
votes to the challenges they
judged to be most important within
each category. Challenges are
presented in order of highest to
lowest votes with associated vote
percentages.
1.Getting the voices of a diverse cross-section of the community is needed to truly represent the City’s priorities, but connecting with specific demographics can take extra work (such as low-income individuals and immigrants).
2.Reaching and including all community demographics in the budget process matters.
3.Even if resources are available for participating in the budget process, not all residents may be aware that they can contribute actively.
4.There may be limited access to public meetings due to timing, location, format, etc.
5.Not every community member is plugged into social media or other communications.
6.Providing consistent, accurate, up-to-date budget information can be challenging.
7.There are always limited resources, so the City can’t do everything or reach everyone all the time.
CHALLENGE:
ACCESS AND COMMUNICATION
1 .
2 1 .4 %
2 .
2 1 .4 %
3 .
1 9 %
4 .
1 5 .5 %
5 .
8 .3 %
6 .
7 .1 %
7 .
7 .1 %
43 # - Challenge% - Percent of votes
1.Democracy is hard to deliver if all (most residents) remain unaware of the means by which input / feedback can be given.
2.The public can be disconnected from how daily or regular interactions with the City lead to and inform budget development.
3.Controlled unknowns such as intra-budget cost, natural disasters, or revenue shortfalls that require that a city manager adapt and adjust the budget / expenditures in ways that the public does not yet know about.
4.City work and services can often occur without public awareness.
5.Some departments do not interact with residents as much as others due to the nature of their work and therefore have lower visibility.
CHALLENGE:
AWARENESS
1 .
3 4 .5 %
2 .
2 8 .6 %
3 .
1 6 .7 %
4 .
1 1 .9 %
5 .
8 .3 %
44 1.If feedback is only a few weeks before budget adoption, it may not make a difference or be too late.
2.There are places within the budget that residents do not have an opportunity to impact directly, so participation with the budget process on these items is not possible.
3.Too much participation could slow down the budget process and create too many nuanced demands [or] requests for funds in a finite budget and process.
4.Getting more residents directly involved in the City Council’s work on the budget process is a barrier.
5.Once budget decisions are decided, residents have to live with the decisions.
CHALLENGE:
BUDGET CONSTRAINTS
1 .
2 9 .7 %
2 .
2 8 .4 %
3 .
2 4 .3 %
4 .
9 .5 %
5 .
8 .1 %
45 1.People don’t know about the budget, feel unqualified to participate, and are afraid to ask questions or get involved.
2.A challenge is to teach people how to understand tradeoffs between options to spend money on.
3.There is so much going on within the budget process, it’s difficult to know what to distinguish between immediate needs and what can be put off.
4.There are elements to the budget and budget process that are informed by (county, state, federal) law, which adds an additional layer of complexity.
5.The budget and budget process can be too complex and/or confusing.
6.Public processes can feel difficult to understand and navigate.
7.The budget and budget process can be / is boring.
8.There is a lot of technical language / jargon.
CHALLENGE: CHALLENGING TO
UNDERSTAND / ENGAGE WITH
1 .
3 2 .1 %
2 .
1 9 %
3 .
1 4 .3 %
4 .
9 .5 %
5 .
8 .3 %
6 .
8 .3 %
7 .
6 %
8 .
2 .4 %
46 1.A challenge to increasing participation is whether it is a priority for the general public. As long as services remain effective and satisfactory, the vast majority of the public probably doesn't have the time or inclination to drill down into the information.
2.People are [too] busy living their daily lives to get involved in the budget process.
3.People care about services or specific items that the city takes care of, not necessarily the spending amount.
4.People have other priorities when it comes to engaging with the City or how they are involved.
5.People often don’t want to seek out budget information on their own.
CHALLENGE:
COMPETING INTERESTS & PRIORITIES
1 .
3 6 .5 %
2 .
2 2 .4 %
3 .
2 0 %
4 .
1 4 .1 %
5 .
7 .1 %
47 1.People may not recognize that their lack of participation in the budget and budget process may have negative consequences (for the things they care about) [until] after the fact.
2.Residents are unsure whether or not their contributions to the budget process are truly heard.
3.Lack of engagement with the budget process can mean people are happy until they are unhappy.
4.Awareness is a form of participation but many may not realize it.
CHALLENGE:
CONCEPT OF PARTICIPATION
1 .
3 8 .8 %
2 .
3 3 .8 %
3 .
2 1 .3 %
4 .
6 .3 %
48 1.Overall distrust of the government due to not listening to citizens, lack of diversity, and historical corruption at the state and federal levels.
2.The loudest voices should not always be considered the public majority.
3.If someone takes the risk to speak or provide input but feels like it doesn’t matter, they may not do so again.
4.People are scared to participate because they don’t feel they are “knowledgeable enough” to provide input.
5.Assumption or perception that public participation and input is either not wanted or not relevant to decisions that need to be made.
6.Overcoming the perception that one voice doesn’t matter or can’t make a difference.
7.A perception could exist that large portions of the budget feel or are inflexible, which makes participation feel less useful.
8.Different departments have different needs for participation (feedback, input, etc.).
CHALLENGE:
IMPACT PERCEPTION
1 .
2 5 .9 %
2 .
2 2 .4 %
3 .
1 5 .3 %
4 .
1 4 .1 %
5 .
1 0 .6 %
6 .
5 .9 %
7 .
4 .7 %
8. 1.2%
49 3
6 OPPORTUNITIES
51 After hearing from each City
Department and deliberating with
one another, May Assembly
participants also identified
opportunities related to increasing
public participation in the budget
process. These were synthesized
and grouped into five categories.
They then prioritized the top
opportunities for increasing public
participation in the budget process
by distributing up to three votes to
the opportunities they judged to be
most important within each
category. Opportunities are
presented in order of highest to
lowest votes with associated vote
percentages.
1.Showing how participation resulted in the nuanced or meaningful change based on the feedback the City received from the process. Promote the result and how the process shaped it.
2.There are already channels of communication from the City (emails, calls, social media, website / apps, etc.) that can be used to share more information about the budget process.
3.Awareness about City staffing needs can help residents understand why budget decisions are important to how the City functions.
4.Advisory councils and other activities already exist, but their work in collaboration with the City can be shared more widely.
5.City staff providing services are engaging with the community and gathering regular input (ex. bus driver, City Clerk).
6.Our City officials co-creating with us can be a promising way for community voices to be heard.
OPPORTUNITY: AMPLIFYING
EXISTING ACTIVITIES & RESOURCES
1 .
3 0 .2 %
2 .
2 0 .9 %
3 .
1 7 .4 %
4 .
1 4 %
5 .
9 .3 %
6 .
8 .1 %
52 # - Opportunity% - Percent of votes
1.Meeting people where they are at (block parties, neighborhood coffee shops, social studies classes, Parent Teacher Associations, etc.) is an opportunity to hear from more / different residents.
2.Community members who are active in the budget process and/or are civically- minded can serve as connectors with other Culver residents who are less involved.
3.Building and strengthening relationships / trust between City staff and residents in formal and informal ways.
4.If there is more resident representation within the budget process, it will lead to more support for decisions and fewer complaints afterwards.
5.People do have opinions and want to give their feedback.
6.Community members already attend events and information about the budget process can be shared with them at these.
OPPORTUNITY:
COMMUNITY AS RESOURCE
1 .
3 5 .3 %
2 .
2 4 .7 %
3 .
2 3 .5 %
4 .
1 0 .6 %
5 .
4 .7 %
6. 1.2%
53 1.Communicating about key performance indicators (KPIs) can help residents see priorities and progress.
2.There are new ways to present budget information in simple, transparent, more accessible ways.
3.Budget changes occur regularly, and the results of these changes can be showcased for residents to understand impacts.
4.Technology can be used to gather more input from and share back with the community.
5.Departments already collect and keep data about their work, services provided, etc., which can be shared with the public.
OPPORTUNITY:
DATA & REPORTING
1 .
3 1 %
2 .
2 9 .9 %
3 .
1 8 .4 %
4 .
1 8 .4 %
5 .
2 .3 %
54 1.An opportunity to increase participation is the relatively small size of Culver City.
Residents might actually have more ability to communicate than they believe and City employees more capacity to absorb their concerns and input. Residents just need to be made aware of this.
2.We have an opportunity to eliminate participation barriers within the budget process so more residents' voices are heard by becoming conduits on behalf of our small neighborhood networks.
3.Official engagement activities can contribute to increasing residents’ awareness of and ideas about the budget and budget process by focusing on specific issues.
4.When budget changes need to occur, people will be paying more attention and that can be an opportunity to increase their awareness about the budget process.
OPPORTUNITY:
PARTICIPATION PIPELINE
1 .
3 3 .8 %
2 .
3 2 .5 %
3 .
2 8 .8 %
4 .
5 %
55 1.Small business community perspectives can supplement resident perspectives.
2.More awareness of the budget process will lead to more people wanting to make a positive impact.
3.Culver City has become a desirable destination for many people to live and to spend time in, and to open businesses. We have lots of positive momentum.
4.Sharing concerns and roadblocks with the community could increase participation in the budget process and generate interest.
5.Local businesses can be a partner for sharing information about the budget process with residents.
6.Staff are interested in asking community members to share their views about the budget process and have ways to use that input.
7.Residents want to know what’s going on with the budget.
OPPORTUNITY:
TAPPING INTO INTEREST
1 .
2 3 .8 %
2 .
2 2 .6 %
3 .
2 0 .2 %
4 .
1 1 .9 %
5 .
8 .3 %
6 .
8 .3 %
7 .
4 .8 %
56 3
7 ACTIONS
In addition to identifying top challenges
and top opportunities, participants in the
May Assembly also created an initial list
of actions to either address challenges
or take advantage of opportunities for
increasing public participation in the
budget process. Actions are presented
here, as much as possible, in
participants’ own words. Due to process
modifications as a result of moving from
a single to two Assembly cohorts, and
with the permission of May Assembly
participants, these actions were
synthesized, maintaining original text /
language as much as possible, by
CNDP in preparation for use by the
second Assembly participants in July.
July Assembly participants reviewed
proposed actions, engaged with May
Assembly members, heard from Culver
City-based community organizations
and City representatives, and
deliberated about the initial set of
actions. They then provided
modifications and/or added new
actions that were missing. Finally, July
Assembly participants selected which
action they felt would best address each
of the three top challenges and three top
opportunities in each category.
58 Actions are listed below to reflect the July Assembly’s top 10 actions to address the top challenges for increasing public participation in the budget process. Actions are listed with those receiving the most votes to address challenges listed first. To see full text of each action, refer to the in-text page citation [p##] at the end of each action header listed below.
TOP 10 ACTIONS TO
ADDRESS TOP CHALLENGES
FEEDBACK LOOP & IMPACT DOCUMENTATION (p68)
4 10
3 2
1 7
2 8
5 6
9 MEET PEOPLE WHERE THEY ARE (p68)
BUDGET SIMULATION ACTIVITY (p70)
SPECIFIC / DIRECT ASKS (p69)
NEIGHBORHOOD AMBASSADORS, CHAMPIONS, OR GROUPS (p69)
TARGETED ENGAGEMENT WITH SUBGROUPS (p70)
BUDGET RECAP / CHANGES / COMPARISONS (p69)
EXTEND THE BUDGET PROCESS TIMELINE (p71)
DEPARTMENT-SPECIFIC ACTIVITIES & INFORMATION (p70)
BUDGET CIVIC ASSEMBLY *tied (p71)
10 10
INCENTIVIZE INPUT / PARTICIPATION *tied (p73)
RESIDENT ORIENTATION SESSIONS *tied (p72)
FEEDBACK LOOP & IMPACT DOCUMENTATION
“There is no better incentive in humans than knowing their voices and deliberation actually resulted in changes.”
“This shows residents how their feedback influenced budget decisions, making them feel heard and encouraging them to participate again.”
MEET PEOPLE WHERE THEY ARE
“Meeting people where they are builds trust between residents and the City. When officials engage with people in familiar community spaces, participation feels less intimidating, leading to greater civic engagement and more informed budget decisions that reflect the needs of all residents, not just those who regularly attend government meetings.”
“Meeting people at their activities increases chances of capturing their attention as discussion among their peers can be effectual in drawing them into a more formal discussion. Seeing others in their demographic could encourage the more reticent citizens to participate.”
BUDGET SIMULATION ACTIVITY
“Having a simulation that treats everyone's response as equal remedies the loudest having the highest impact, everyone is treated equally.” “Having an interactive simulation would directly help [people] understand the tradeoffs between options on monies allocated.”
SPECIFIC / DIRECT ASKS
“Having targeted asks can direct public participation towards areas where there actually is flexibility in the budget and real opportunities to affect the budget.” “Creating a list of specific invitations for resident actions could assuage the perception that their voice doesn't matter or isn't heard.”
PARTICIPANT EXPLANATIONS
FOR TOP ACTIONS SELECTED
60 NEIGHBORHOOD AMBASSADORS, CHAMPIONS, GROUPS
“Each area of Culver City has distinct and unique needs. Some affect everyone and some only affect the neighborhood. Reaching out to understand that is vital to feeling heard and seen, and increasing involvement.”
“Having paid or volunteer neighborhood ambassadors or groups to examine localized concerns will help the community to better understand how the budget works and how their concerns may or may not be addressed.”
TARGETED ENGAGEMENT WITH SUBGROUPS
“Targeted engagement with subgroups targets those who don't have a loud voice and gives them an opportunity to speak.”
“Assuming it is an agreed priority to include all significant demographics of the community to participate, the most impactful way to meet this challenge is to specifically target engagement to / with subgroups that are lacking in representation.”
BUDGET RECAP / CHANGES / COMPARISONS
“Publishing budget receipts with changes that impact the budget would be the most impactful way to help people understand tradeoffs between options where money is spent and which needs were addressed and how.”
“Giving people the option and showing them the budget process and incremental changes is vital - it gives a better understanding.”
EXTEND THE BUDGET PROCESS TIMELINE
“[Extending the budget process timeline] allows people time to plan and organize for the issues they care about. It also holds Council members accountable that they have to share information upfront and on time.”
“The individuals that spoke to the assembly mentioned the squeaky wheel often gets heard but to combat this, extending the timeline and providing transparency into the process could help.”
PARTICIPANT EXPLANATIONS
FOR TOP ACTIONS SELECTED
DEPARTMENT-SPECIFIC ACTIVITIES & INFORMATION
“Department-specific activities and information helps residents understand how the budget affects the City services they use every day, such as parks, public safety, roads, and libraries rather than focusing on dollar amounts.” “Getting to know each department will break down budgeting into segments that are easier to understand and create awareness of the impact of public participation.”
BUDGET CIVIC ASSEMBLY
“This creates a diverse representative citizens' assembly to provide informed input on budget decisions, giving residents a voice in areas where direct public participation is limited.”
“Given infinite resources, all 40,000+ residents would benefit from the comprehensive education of this 3 day experience.”
INCENTIVIZE INPUT / PARTICIPATION
“Incentives like check cards / gift cards will attract residents who may otherwise find participation burdensome.”
“Incentives are valuable and if the City were to incentivize public participation by various means, it would make a big difference on involvement.”
RESIDENT ORIENTATION
“This could explain the budget process in real-time, person-to-person so they can see how the process works.”
“All residents should be informed of the process and cycle and when / where to participate.”
PARTICIPANT EXPLANATIONS
FOR TOP ACTIONS SELECTED
62 Actions are listed below to reflect the July Assembly’s top 10 actions to take advantage of the top opportunities for increasing public participation in the budget process. Actions are listed with those receiving the most votes to address opportunities listed first. To see full text of each action, refer to the in-text page citation [p##] at the end of each action header listed below.
TOP 10 ACTIONS TO
ADDRESS TOP OPPORTUNITIES
NEIGHBORHOOD AMBASSADORS, CHAMPIONS, OR GROUPS (p69)
4 10
3 2
1 7
2 8
5 6
9 MEET PEOPLE WHERE THEY ARE (p68)
BUDGET RECAP / CHANGES / COMPARISONS (p69)
DEPARTMENT-SPECIFIC ACTIVITIES & INFORMATION (p70)
FEEDBACK LOOP & IMPACT DOCUMENTATION (p68)
TARGETED ENGAGEMENT WITH SUBGROUPS (p70)
DASHBOARD, KEY PERFORMANCE INDICATORS, & METRICS (p71)
SPECIFIC / DIRECT ASKS (p69)
BUDGET CIVIC ASSEMBLY (p71)
USING SOCIAL MEDIA TO INCREASE AWARENESS (p72)
63 NEIGHBORHOOD AMBASSADORS, CHAMPIONS, GROUPS
“Neighborhood groups, etc. can be less intimidating for people to participate in issues concerning them regarding the City budget and can help increase involvement in an organic way by pooling resources, which makes a stronger argument in city meetings through strength in numbers.”
“There is power in numbers and having neighborhood representation can be very effective for input and influence.”
MEET PEOPLE WHERE THEY ARE
“Meeting people where they enjoy the environment changes their attitude completely and opens their eyes to what they can do.”
“Because people love Culver, people are always getting out and supporting events and businesses - that is the time to let people know what's going on.”
BUDGET RECAP / CHANGES / COMPARISONS
“Publishing their data so folks can understand the impact of incremental changes effecting the budget is a direct way to showcase results and impact for residents.” ”Showing budget recaps and comparisons can help residents understand the budget process more through actual example and process.”
DEPARTMENT-SPECIFIC ACTIVITIES & INFORMATION
“This will help everyone understand budget needs and the process. It helps everyone understand where everything goes and ‘Getting to Know Your Department’ events are vital.”
“Department-specific activities and information leads to more direct / focused issue discussions / deliberations and understanding of impact.”
PARTICIPANT EXPLANATIONS
FOR TOP ACTIONS SELECTED
64 FEEDBACK LOOP & IMPACT DOCUMENTATION
“Demonstrate that the public isn't wasting their time when they engage by clearly communicating the inputs they received and the impacts they had.” “We need to see and hear about how people were able to interact and engage with the City to have their changes implemented. It will help instill and reinforce confidence in the democratic process.”
TARGETED ENGAGEMENT WITH SUBGROUPS
“Tapping into interest groups and existing gathering spaces that make Culver City so great plus making it clear that their engagement will have an impact and how they would use existing positive energy and high event attendance for good.” “Taking advantage of the small business community to target subgroups with common interests regarding the budget seems productive.”
DASHBOARDS, KEY PERFORMANCE INDICATORS, & METRICS
“Ongoing and updating dashboards lets residents see how the budget works, is changing and what City priorities are.”
“This correlates directly to the problem that if communication is the issue, then key performance indicators can be accessed by anyone and they can see progress and priorities.”
SPECIFIC / DIRECT ASKS
“To eliminate participation barriers, asking specific / direct asks can allow more residents’ voices to be heard.”
“Having a specific issue to handle or address can streamline participation in the whole process.”
PARTICIPANT EXPLANATIONS
FOR TOP ACTIONS SELECTED
65 BUDGET CIVIC ASSEMBLY
“A citizens’ assembly on the budget would give residents a direct voice in the budget process and increases participation by making involvement more meaningful.” “This would give informed residents a meaningful role in the budget process, encouraging greater participation and helping more people make a positive impact on budget decisions.”
USING SOCIAL MEDIA TO INCREASE AWARENESS
“Because Culver City is demographically diverse, using all social media platforms, as well as print media, radio, cold calls, texts, and direct mail will capture a diverse participation audience.”
“Social media may be the broadest and most cost-effective ways to reach residents and try to increase engagement.”
PARTICIPANT EXPLANATIONS
FOR TOP ACTIONS SELECTED
66 While there may be disagreement on issues themselves, there is consensus on how we can get more people involved / engaged, which hopefully will increase who is represented in those discussions on issues (if implemented).
- Assembly Participant
It's important for my fellow Culver City neighbors to know that the work accomplished was a group effort that included a lot of conversation and discussion and varying perspectives, and that we tried to keep the entire community in mind.
- Assembly Participant
We approached this work with a shared love for Culver City, even though we have very different lived experiences.
- Assembly Participant
1 MEET PEOPLE WHERE THEY ARE
Hold events at locations where people are already gathering and/or using city services, such as block parties,
neighborhood book clubs or coffee clubs, school assemblies, high school classrooms, parent teacher associations, parks, “Culver Steps” events, the farmer’s market, or meeting
people in bars, restaurants, malls, and other businesses.
Conduct budget and budget process outreach and
engagement through different channels by which our voices can be heard rather than having in-person opportunities driven by people going to Council meetings.
Participants in both the May and July Assemblies produced actions that the City of Culver City could take in order to increase public participation in the budget process. Actions are listed to reflect the July Assembly’s aggregate prioritization of these actions (based on votes across both challenges and opportunities), with the most popular actions listed first and subsequent actions in descending order.
2 FEEDBACK LOOP & IMPACT DOCUMENTATION
Document how feedback and input shapes the budget and is incorporated throughout the budget process. This could
include concrete and clear examples of acknowledging
resident complaints or suggestions, publishing the results of deliberations and votes before and after key meetings and discussions, and providing examples of how resident
feedback affected budget decisions so that the public is aware of and knows how their feedback helps to shape
budget priorities.
AGGREGATE ACTIONS
RECOMMENDED FOR CULVER CITY
68 3
4 BUDGET RECAP / CHANGES / COMPARISONS
Publish data (ongoing and annual) to track how shifts in the budget occurred, including changes in expenses and
revenue, legal or policy changes that impact the budget or budget process, and what the results were so that people can better understand the impact of incremental changes (e.g. “Dept. X’s budget increased 1% = 1 new staff hired = service delivery changed from Y to Z” or provide case
studies showing how an issue was addressed).
NEIGHBORHOOD AMBASSADORS, CHAMPIONS, OR
GROUPS
Coordinate paid and/or volunteer neighborhood
ambassadors, champions, or groups who examine more
localized concerns, serve as sources of information and points-of-contact for bi-directional information flow, and go out to certain areas to gather qualitative feedback so that it is more equitable and fills in gaps in the budget process. 5 SPECIFIC / DIRECT ASKS
Create a list of specific invitations for resident action / requests / feedback related to different topics in order to direct people’s energy and appeal to what directly affects them as it relates to the budget and budget process. For example: “We need your input on issue Y. We need to
understand your priorities on issue X,” or “We have this money, help us determine how to spend it.” Create clear and succinct opportunities for participation.
69 7
TARGETED ENGAGEMENT WITH SUBGROUPS
Make connections and hold community meetings with
different segments of the city and communities of interest such as business owners and associations, residents that regularly use parks / recreation services, landlords and property owners, renters, neighborhood groups, as well as service users, affinity groups, and other valued stakeholders who may not necessarily be residents.
8 BUDGET SIMULATION ACTIVITY
Create an interactive online budget simulation activity that shows the amounts previously allocated to each department with explanations of each department, and then allow users to add and subtract money from different departments to fit the total budget. The simulator could also provide an option to give feedback, reasoning, and advice to departments as well as the city as a whole (similar to the Los Angeles Metro Budget Activity, which is bilingual and easy to use).
6 DEPARTMENT-SPECIFIC ACTIVITIES & INFORMATION
Department-specific events, public and recorded meetings with department managers and staff, informational
materials (such as presentations, explainers, dashboards, and key performance indicators [“KPIs”]), and outreach will help the public understand departmental missions and
challenges, needs (such as staffing), and help residents understand where expenditures go. “Get to Know Your
Department” events could also give us some possible ideas on how the public could participate in the budget process and insight into each department’s budget.
70 9
1 0
DASHBOARD, KEY PERFORMANCE INDICATORS, &
METRICS
Create and regularly update public-facing dashboards /
databases that include agendas for budget meetings,
information regarding budget proposals and budget
reconciliation, departmental budget requests and
information, reports of service, and departmental key
performance indicators (“KPIs”) that can be accessed by anyone.
BUDGET CIVIC ASSEMBLY
The city should retain and compensate an annual Civic
Assembly on the Budget run by an unbiased 3rd party that is diverse and representative in geography and
demographics that is educated, informed, and retained to give comment based on their constituent views. This rotating civic duty would be per budget cycle and could only be
served on once.
1 1
EXTEND THE BUDGET PROCESS TIMELINE
Extend the budget process timeline so that the community can engage with City staff, provide input and feedback, and have a longer period of time between the
establishment of the draft budget and adoption of the final budget.
71 1 2
1 3
USING SOCIAL MEDIA TO INCREASE AWARENESS
Updates on the budget process are always communicated
across diverse methods like social media (including TikTok, Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp, etc.), posted on
community networks and websites, radio and print media, physical signs with QR codes, and direct outreach (call / cold calls, text, and mailers) so everyone has an
opportunity to be informed about the budget process and how to participate.
RESIDENT ORIENTATION SESSIONS
Hold resident orientation sessions to empower people to participate in monthly or quarterly interactive events, with presentations for new and existing residents to learn about how the City functions and about the budget process.
1 4
MAKE BUDGET & PROCESS INFO ACCESSIBLE
Make the budget process more comprehensible for people
to understand and navigate so that they can participate in the process. Make it more user-friendly by simply
communicating and explaining technical terminology and
process steps (such as how, when, and where to
participate), as well as information about the departments involved with organizational charts.
72 1 5
1 6
INCENTIVIZE INPUT / PARTICIPATION
Incentivize public participation in the budget process
through payments, food, gift cards to local businesses, reimbursement for transport costs / childcare, or other forms of compensation.
MARQUEE, BOARDS, & KIOSKS WITH INFORMATION
Utilize public spaces to establish a community board,
marquee, or kiosks in high visibility locations (such as downtown) in order to publicize opportunities for
participation in the budget process and solicit public
comments so that more people can become aware of
participation opportunities.
1 7
APP / PORTAL
Create a Culver City application and/or web portal for
residents to learn about the budget process, access relevant City datasets, provide feedback, receive direct
correspondence from appropriate City staff about budget inquiries, and receive alerts about opportunities for
participation.
73 1 8
1 9
CONDENSE & SUMMARIZE THE BUDGET
Create a simple, user-friendly budget summary document / searchable resource that reduces the current ~700-page
document down to 10-20 pages in order to help the
community clearly understand the budget as a whole.
CREATIVE CAMPAIGNS & COMMUNICATION
STRATEGIES
Create ad campaigns to invite the community into the
budget process. Appeal to them through humor such as
“What’s funny about money,” or ask residents for “help.” Humanize it by finding ways to make the budget process
relate to how people are trying to make our city better, or translate the budget into something that shows how resident needs and wants are addressed (see p75 for examples).
2 0
BUDGET INFORMATION AI-ASSISTANT
Develop or use AI-powered communication tools (such as
an AI-assistant that could answer questions 24/7 in multiple languages, explain how tax dollars are spent, and/or
summarize complex budget documents in plain language)
to increase public awareness and participation in the
budget process.
74 What's Funny About Money:social media post with a jokeor fact; make people laugh,give them budget info, ask for a comment.
The Tower Signal: TheVeterans Memorial towerlights up each fall toannounce Budget Seasonwith a signature color plusprojected key dates, meetingtimes, and where to weigh in,giving the whole city aheads-up that budgetdecisions are open.
CREATIVE CAMPAIGN IDEAS:
Screens at the Pump: Air thewinning films on gas-pumpscreens (which have a captiveaudience with the sound on) orother budget info like key dates,where money goes, even quickchoices on the pump's buttons,car-wash style: "More money forchildcare? Yes / No." Heart of Screenland FilmCompetition: Annual 1–2 minuteshort-film contest about thebudget where winners screenbefore movies at the CulverTheater, and prizes sponsored bythe studios. It draws people inthrough the craft this city is builton and that so many residentswork in: filmmaking becomes thedoorway to the budget. 2 1
2 2
INCENTIVIZE LOCAL BUSINESSES AS PARTNERS
Partner with local businesses to provide incentives to
customers who provide input / feedback on the budget
process. An example might be a $500 credit to a business for collecting a specific number of responses in exchange for the business giving a free beverage or food item for every response received.
COUNCIL MEETING STANDARDS OF ENGAGEMENT
Adopt simple standards of engagement on the dais: eye
contact with speakers, phones / tablets off during public comment, a brief acknowledgment of what was said.
Council Members could focus their full attention on
residents who go to speak in Council Meetings out of
respect for their time and truly listen during public comment periods. When people feel basic human understanding
from their Council, they come back. Accountability starts with looking up.
2 3
WORKING WITH BUSINESSES TO INCREASE
AWARENESS
Partner with local businesses to share information about the budget process, deadlines, notices, meetings, etc. to
increase visibility among Culver City residents through items like QR codes, receipt notices, or informational packets. 76 2 4
2 5
BUDGET ENGAGEMENT COMMISSION / COMMITTEE
Establish an advisory board, commission, committee, or
council that actively interacts with the community to capture their thoughts and opinions and works with a single City department to collect feedback, categorize, and prioritize community input.
PREVENTION VS. RESPONSE
Explain budget priorities in terms of upstream prevention vs. downstream response.
2 6
BY-APPOINTMENT BUDGET MEETINGS
City staff should hold meetings by appointment and with limited attendance to connect with residents about the
budget and budget process.
77 2 7
2 8
VIDEO ASSETS
Produce more explainer videos for specific issues related to the budget and budget process, departmental information, and City services. Make these available on the City’s
YouTube channel and other platforms and provide an
opportunity for feedback through each video.
BUDGET QUESTION / COMMENT / ANSWER
REPOSITORY
Create a repository for all email, web, and in-person
questions / public comments and any answers relating to the budget and budget process. Make them publicly
accessible both in-person and digitally.
2 9
EMAIL & TEXT-SPECIFIC ALERTS WITH BUDGET
INFORMATION / NEWSLETTER
Set up an opt-in text message service in addition to the existing opt-in email alerts / newsletter that the City already provides; expand the number of topics for both text and emails to include budget planning meetings, budget items / projects to be addressed, what has been decided, with
corresponding meeting notes.
78 3 0
3 1
SOCIAL MEDIA AS AN ENGAGEMENT FORUM
Use existing social media platforms (such as Nextdoor,
Reddit, and Facebook groups) to reach those who don’t
attend traditional in-person budget / budget process forums [by engaging with social media posts].
BUDGET TOWN HALLS
Hold 1-2 Town Halls each budget cycle to announce
opportunities to engage with the budget and to emphasize the importance of the issue.
3 2
REDEFINE ACCESSIBILITY
Redefine the concept of "accessibility" when it comes to the budget process in order to include language, economic,
and other factors as it pertains to participation.
79 3 3
3 4
FUN EVENTS / GAMES
Create fun activities such as a game about financial
planning to help people connect with the budget process.
BUDGET EDUCATION OPPORTUNITIES
Create classes and finance courses on the budget so that people can understand tradeoffs between expenditures and other aspects of the budget process.
3 5
MONTHLY CITY MANAGER REPORTS
Prepare and distribute a monthly City Manager report on the budget and budget process.
80 3 6
3 7
GAMIFY PARTICIPATION
Gamify contributions and participation in the budget
process with things such as credits, badges, exclusive
invites to events with officials at the end of fiscal year, or discounts on services.
ENGAGEMENT BEYOND TECHNOLOGY
Utilize forms of outreach, communications, and
engagement that are aimed at residents and community
members who are not tech-savvy or who may not be
comfortable utilizing digital technologies.
3 8
PHYSICAL ACCESSIBILITY
Work to ensure barriers that might preclude community
members with physical disabilities from attending and
participating in budget events are addressed (such as
holding events in accessible spaces and/or creating
options for digital attendance and participation).
81 3 9
4 0
INCREASE PUBLIC COMMENT TIME
Increase the time allotted per public comment during City Council Meetings.
DEVELOP DIGITAL RESOURCES WITH RESIDENTS
Engage residents and community members to help develop
City budget websites and other technology / digital
applications.
4 1
LOWER VOTING AGE
Lowering the voting age to 16 would increase student
participation in the budget process.
82 4 2
BUDGET TERMINOLOGY IN NEWS / COMMERCIAL
MEDIA
Daily or weekly postings in print, newspapers, and other commercial communications that provide budget process
and legal terminology in normal / layperson’s words.
83 I t i s i m p o r t a n t f o r p e o p l e t o k n o w t h a t w e t o o k i n t o a c c o u n t h o w e v e r y o n e i n t h e c o m m u n i t y m a y b e r e p r e s e n t e d i n t h e b u d g e t f e e d b a c k p r o c e s s , d e t e r m i n i n g w h i c h t o o l s m a y b e u s e d i n c o l l a b o r a t i o n t o c a p t u r e e v e r y o n e ' s v o i c e , a n d t h e n d e t e r m i n e h o w p e o p l e k n o w t h e i r v o i c e h a s b e e n h e a r d . - A s s e m b l y P a r t i c i p a n t
3 8
DETERMINING
SUCCESS
86 Throughout both the May and July
Assemblies, participants considered how
the City should determine whether or not
they’re successful in increasing public
participation in the budget process.
Assembly participants identified these
key indicators for determining success:
implementing Assembly participants’
prioritized recommendations
establishing a baseline of current
budget participation and
engagement statistics
tracking and publishing those
statistics so that the public could
monitor whether or not goals are
being met
communicating the results and
impact of budget participation on
future Culver City budget decisions
Participants also observed that progress
on these indicators would demonstrate
that the Civic Assembly on Increasing
Public Participation in the Budget
Process was a purposeful investment of
residents’ time and work.
Y o u l i t e r a l l y p a i d u s t o c a r e a b o u t t h e b u d g e t p r o c e s s a n d a n y p o s s i b l e s o l u t i o n a n d i d e a s w e u n c o v e r e d m u s t b e t a k e n s e r i o u s l y b y y o u , b e c a u s e y o u a r e a l s o p a i d t o c a r e . I t i s e a s y t o f o c u s o n y o u r K P I s a n d m a n d a t e s b u t i d e n t i f y i n g a n d c o n n e c t i n g w i t h a l a r g e r a m o u n t o f t h e p u b l i c a n d p r o v i d i n g t h e m w i t h m o r e w a y s t o s p e a k u p a n d t h e n t r u l y c o n s i d e r i n g t h e i r o p i n i o n w i l l i n c r e a s e t h e l o n g - t e r m s a t i s f a c t i o n a n d s u c c e s s o f C u l v e r C i t y . - A s s e m b l y P a r t i c i p a n t
87 Success would look like a
real feedback loop between
the City (including Council)
and community members
measured qualitatively by
surveying how many people
actually experience their
big or small requests or
interests being addressed -
not necessarily agreed to or
implemented but more
responsiveness.
- Assembly Participant
In order to get a budget forCulver City, and to use a finiteand limited number of resourcesin the most effective way to meetthe very diverse needs of asmany people as possible wholive in the city, increasedparticipation of as many citizensas possible in the budget processis desirable. - Assembly Participant
The process itself has gained the city70 more informed and willing toparticipate citizens. That's not nothingwhen you think about only 2 peopleshowing up to finance meetings. It's awin from the start - then the workspeaks for itself. There were a fewconversations among participantsduring breaks (not associatedw/CNDP) about whether or not thiswas a sincere effort to get the public toparticipate or just for show. Will youact on the assembly ideas? - Assembly Participant
You spent a lot of money to puton this event. It was a goodevent and some great insightswere uncovered, and actionableideas suggested. I want you todo something with it now.
The so-what: How is what wedid going to actually impact thefunctioning and processes of theCity? - Assembly Participant
Many people need to beengaged (voting in surveys,adding comments to specificmeasures, etc.) to ensure there isa diverse cohort of perspectivesmaking an impact on thedecisions that are made. Withoutengagement, things just happento people without any agency toshape the future. - Assembly Participant
PARTCIPANTS REFLECT ON SUCCESS:
3 How would we know the City
is successful? Send out a
satisfaction survey regarding
the budget process to create
a baseline. Send out
subsequent surveys in the
future which allow us to
measure greater engagement
in the budget process.
- Assembly Participant
Success would be with
visible data on change in
participation and actual
impact on the budget that
was a direct results of the
residents' participation.
- Assembly Participant
D e c i s i o n m a k e r s s h o u l d k n o w t h e c o n c e r n s o f t h e i r c o n s t i t u e n c y b e c a u s e t h a t ' s w h y t h e y a r e t h e r e . R e s i d e n t s n e e d t o b e h e a r d a n d i n f o r m e d f o r t h e b e n e f i t o f a l l c o n c e r n e d . D e c i s i o n m a k e r s o f t e n s a y " t h e r e s i d e n t s c o m e f i r s t , " w h i c h s o u n d s g o o d , b u t w e n e e d t o s e e a c t i o n b e h i n d t h a t s t a t e m e n t , i n a w a y t h a t i s r e l e v a n t / m e a n i n g f u l t o u s , a n d n o t j u s t d u r i n g e l e c t i o n s .
- A s s e m b l y P a r t i c i p a n t
91 T H A N K Y O U ,
C U L V E R C IT Y !
2 0 2 6 C e n t e r f o r N e w D e m o c r a t i c P r o c e s s e s
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