06 BROOKLYN NEWS WWW.BROOKLYN-USA.ORG
YOUR Money, YOUR Voice, YOUR Vote!
Democracy depends on
participation in politics, not only voting
on Election Day but remaining involved
in the process of government.
Borough President Adams wants
to encourage Brooklyn residents
to expand their involvement in
government with participatory
budgeting (PB), which allows local
residents to decide how to spend part
of a public budget.
PB starts at the grassroots level.
At public meetings in each district,
community members learn about PB
and discuss their community’s needs,
then think of potential projects and
choose delegates to represent them.
The delegates learn about the budget
process and project development,
then form committees. In committees,
the delegates work with City Council
staff members and other experts to
develop the ideas presented by the
community into projects. Based on the
responses from the community, the
projects are revised. Finally, after the
community votes at sites around the
district, council members submit their
spending priorities to the Council’s
finance division, including the winning
PB projects, for inclusion in the City
budget.
In New York City, an increasing
number of council members have
decided to implement PB, allowing
people in their districts to vote for
different capital projects that will
benefit the community. Starting in
2011, New Yorkers have had a say
in funding local improvements such
as countdown clocks on a bus route,
renovations at a public library, new
playground equipment in a park, or
modern science labs for a school.
This February, to encourage
council members from Brooklyn to
support PB in their districts, Borough
President Adams announced a $1
million commitment — $100,000 for
each participating council district —
of his Fiscal Year 2017 (FY17) capital
budget to provide the voters in those
districts with additional resources
for worthwhile initiatives. Borough
President Adams also opened Brooklyn
Borough Hall as a polling location for
PB, providing all Brooklynites a central
location to conveniently cast their
ballot.
“It means a lot to be the first local
elected official or agency head outside
of the City Council to commit to PB, a
revolutionary approach to growing
democracy from the ground up,” said
Borough President Adams. “I’m excited
to bolster the voices of Brooklynites
and help amplify their power to shape
how their tax dollars are spent in
our borough. From Bensonhurst to
Bushwick, Brooklynites have raised
their voices and will directly benefit
from the community improvements
that they have prioritized with their
votes. I am proud to partner with
Council Speaker Melissa Mark-Viverito
and the Brooklyn delegation to put
Brooklyn squarely at the forefront of
the direct democracy movement.”
Voting in PB is open to all residents
of participating districts 14 years of
age and older. The sole identification
requirement is proof of residency
in the district, removing traditional
obstacles to full civic participation
such as citizenship status, Englishlanguage
proficiency, income status,
and youth. More than 26,000 people
voted across the 10 participating
districts in Brooklyn; a map of winning
projects and full voting results by
district can be viewed at labs.council.
nyc/pb.
In 2017, Borough President Adams
intends to build toward borough-wide
PB, in which the residents of every
neighborhood have the opportunity to
choose projects that will support the
quality of life in their community.
Photo Credit: Erica Sherman/Brooklyn BP’s Office
Borough President Adams cast his first-ever participatory budgeting ballot
inside Brooklyn Borough Hall, as part of his commitment to expand the practice
across the borough.
2016 PB Allocations from BP Adams
($100,000 per Project)
• Security cameras in Bensonhurst (Council Member David G. Greenfield’s district)
• Computer carts at P.S. 261 Philip Livingston in Boerum Hill (Council Member Stephen Levin’s district)
• Air conditioner in the gym at P.S. 257 John F. Hylan in Bushwick (Council Member Antonio Reynoso’s district)
• New surfaces for two basketball courts at Brower Park in Crown Heights
(Council Member Robert E. Cornegy, Jr.’s district)
• HVAC system for the Willoughby Senior Center in Fort Greene (Council Member Laurie A. Cumbo’s district)
• Renovations to the children’s play area of McDonald Playground in Gravesend
(Council Member Mark Treyger’s district)
• Dog run at the Parade Grounds in Kensington (Council Member Brad Lander’s district)
• Street repairs on Avenue J, Avenue K, and Nostrand and Ocean avenues in Midwood
(Council Member Jumaane D. Williams’ district)
• Sidewalk extensions and other traffic safety installations near Little Red Riding Hood Day Care Center in
Prospect-Lefferts Gardens (Council Member Mathieu Eugene’s district)
• Installation of new benches, picnic tables, and other improvements to Sunset Park
(Council Member Carlos Menchaca’s district)
2015-16 Citywide PB Cycle Statistics
(Source: Urban Justice Center)
• 60 percent of voters were people of color.
• 63 percent of voters identified as female.
• 10 percent of voters were under the age of 18.
• Nearly 30 percent of voters reported an annual household income of $25,000 or lower.
• One in five ballots was cast in a language other than English.
• More than a quarter of voters were born outside of the United States.