Residents of District 36, Bed-Stuy, and N. Crown Heights will have the opportunity to decide how to spend a portion of the city budget right in their neighborhoods.
Brooklyn, NY: Participatory budgeting is back in the new year. Each City Council district has the opportunity to craft proposals for how to spend a portion of the city budget on projects designed and planned by community members. This year, residents of Bed-Stuy and North Crown Heights will have $1 million at their disposal to improve the physical infrastructure of their neighborhoods.
Councilmember Chi Ossé has called his constituents to design and submit plans for participatory budgeting projects by the January 23 deadline. Projects must be a direct addition to or investment in physical infrastructure, such as improvements to playgrounds and libraries or the construction of drinking fountains.
Proposals will be presented to the district this coming spring for a voting period, during which all residents aged 11 and up will be able to cast votes. The winning projects will receive a portion of the $1 million participatory budget allocation. Its stakeholders will work in tandem with city agencies and the councilmember’s office on implementation.
Beyond submitting proposals, community members are invited to get involved. Anyone interested in joining the volunteer team to help our office with the evaluation and voting processes can sign up at www.participate.nyc.gov or reach out to May Vutrapongvatana – district36@council.nyc.gov. More info can be found at https://www.participate.nyc.gov/processes/ccdistrict36.
“No one knows your streets, schools, and parks better than you do,” Ossé explains. “Let’s take advantage of direct democracy to build what we know we need, right here at home.”
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