The Providence Journal: Once the epitome of New England democracy, the Financial Town Meeting is fading in RI

This article originally appeared in the Providence Journal on May 13, 2024, and was written by Antonia Noori Farzan.  

Below is Common Cause Rhode Island executive director John Marion’s quote relating to the decline of Financial Town Meetings and how towns can address this issue moving forward.   

“It conjures up this platonic ideal of how self-government occurs in New England,” said John Marion, executive director of Common Cause Rhode Island. “But in reality, participation is so low and it’s so prone to being captured by small, vocal minorities of residents that it’s really not egalitarian at all.”

“There’s an irony to the fact that FTMs are falling out of favor, Marion pointed out. Experiments in “participatory budgeting,” which invite residents to decide how to allocate certain funds, are taking place in a growing number of cities around the country – including Pawtucket, Providence and Central Falls. “We’re coming back to this almost ancient form of government,” he said. “But in a different way, in a way that is meant to encourage broader participation.”

To read the full article, click here.