As the federal budget remains in limbo, we had to ask, “Is there a better way to build a budget?” We talk this week with Shari Davis, Director of Strategic Initiatives at the Participatory Budgeting Process, about her work in spreading a community-driven, authentically democratic process for deciding budgets. We learn what participatory budgeting is, why this process results in more equitable and impactful publicly funded projects, and what elements need to be in place in order to successfully implement a participatory budgeting process in local governance.