Castelló participatory budget workshop picks six finalists

Castelló participatory budget workshop picks six finalists

Residents of Castelló d'Empúries put forward around 50 ideas to improve the municipality at a public workshop held as part of the town's 2027 Participatory Budget. By the end of the session, the six highest-ranked proposals had been chosen as the first finalists of this year's process.

The workshop took place on Thursday, September 24, in the Capella del Convent de Santa Clara, a former convent chapel in the old town of Castelló. It was one of the key steps in the ninth edition of the scheme, which lets residents decide how to spend part of the council's investment budget.

The process, which opened with 250,000 euros available, allows local people to choose investment projects that will be included in the municipal budget for 2027.

Mayor highlights the process

The session was opened by the mayor of Castelló d'Empúries, Anna Massot. She praised the level of public involvement and said the value of the scheme goes beyond the projects it produces.

"The most important thing about the Participatory Budget is not only the actions we will end up carrying out, but the whole process behind it: listening, sharing ideas, debating them and deciding collectively what the priorities are," she said.

Massot also pointed to the fact that the scheme has now reached its ninth edition. "Reaching the ninth edition shows that the Participatory Budget is already part of the way we understand citizen participation in our municipality," she said. She added that new ideas and new needs emerge every year, and that it is positive for residents to help decide how part of the council's resources are invested.

How the finalists were chosen

Neighbours took part both individually and in groups. The workshop began with group work, where participants presented and discussed their ideas.

Participants then used digital participation tools to rank the proposals. This produced an ordered list, and the six with the most support became the first finalists of the 2027 edition.

The six first finalists

  • Covers at the exits of the Joana d'Empúries school to protect children from the rain
  • Improvements to pavements across the municipality so they are accessible for wheelchairs and pushchairs
  • Traffic mirrors to improve visibility for road users in the streets of the Sector Puigmal
  • A pedestrian section on carrer del Rec del Molí, from the Pont de la Mercè to the Farinera, the town's old flour mill
  • Climate shelters for the summer, meaning cool spaces where people can find relief during heat waves
  • A dog park, known locally as a "pipicà", in the Trabuc area of Empuriabrava

Last days to submit ideas

The workshop does not close the proposal phase. Residents can still submit ideas until October 5, 2026.

Proposals can be sent through the website www.tutriescastello.cat or dropped into collection boxes placed in several municipal buildings.

More than 200 proposals have already been submitted through the website so far.

What happens next

Once the submission period ends, the council's technical services will review all the proposals received. The process will then move on to the Citizen Prioritisation Forum, followed by a final vote planned for the first months of 2027.

Everyone aged over 16 who is registered on the municipal roll, known in Spain as the "padró", will be able to vote. The projects with the most support will be carried out until the 250,000 euro budget is used up.

Our Take

The six finalists say a lot about what residents care about. Most of them deal with everyday issues: safer school exits, accessible pavements, clearer junctions and space for pedestrians. The call for summer climate shelters also suggests that heat is becoming a real concern for local people, not just an abstract topic.

For readers in Empuriabrava, the dog park proposal for the Trabuc area is a reminder that the scheme is not limited to the historic centre of Castelló. Ideas from the marina town can make it onto the list.

International residents should note that only people registered on the padró can vote. Being on the padró also matters for wider civic life, including registering to vote in local elections.

It is worth watching how many of the more than 200 online proposals survive the technical review, and whether the six workshop picks remain among the favourites when the final vote takes place early next year. With the deadline on October 5, there is still a short window for anyone who wants to add their own idea.