Get Involved, Bed-Stuy! Participatory Budgeting Returns to the Neighborhood

By Aaron Simon

BED-STUY, BROOKLYN — If you're a resident of the New York City Council's 36th district, which includes most of Bed-Stuy and northern Crown Heights (map below), you now have the chance to pitch, vote on and win funding for community projects at one of seven upcoming meetings for the 2017 "participatory budgeting" season.

Now in its sixth year, the participatory budgeting concept is spreading across NYC to include more than two dozen City Council districts. To be exact, 28 districts are participating in 2016-17 — same as last year, but up from 24 in 2014-15.

The process allows community members to decide which local projects should receive taxpayer funds. For example, the money can go toward improving parks, libraries, schools and streets.

New York City Councilmember Robert Cornegy, who represents the 36th, will kick off the participatory budgeting season with seven initial meetings in September and October.

Here's the meeting schedule:

• Meeting 1: Wednesday, Sept. 21 at 6:00 p.m. at Brower Public Library at 725 St Marks Ave.
• Meeting 2: Monday, Sept. 26 at 6:00 p.m. at P.S. 308 at 616 Quincy St.
• Meeting 3: Thursday, Sept. 29 at 6:30 p.m. at P.S. 256 at 114 Kosciuszko St.
• Meeting 4: Monday, Oct. 3 at 6:00 p.m. at M.S. 35 at 272 MacDonough St.
• Meeting 5: Wednesday, Oct. 5 at 6:o0 p.m. at M.S. 35 at 272 MacDonough St.
• Meeting 6: Thursday, Oct. 6 at 6:00 p.m at Friends of Crown Heights at 671 Prospect Pl.
• Meeting 7: Tuesday, Oct. 11 at 6:00 p.m at P.S. 81 at 990 Dekalb Ave.

Cornegy's staffers provided a list of the five projects funded through the 2016 participatory budgeting process, totaling $1.588 million in support. They are:

• $350,000 for upgrades to the multi-purpose room and auditorium at the Marcy branch of the Brooklyn Public Library
• $70,000 for about 70 laptops for P.S. 59
• $248,000 for 4 science carts for Bedford-Stuyvesant New Beginnings Charter School
• $320,000 for 8 "smartboards" at five area public schools
• And $600,000 to resurface two basketball courts in Brower Park

According to Cornegy's office, the councilman is also looking to recruit volunteers to help lead future community meetings on participatory budgeting; collect ideas; and work with city officials to select the final list of projects on the ballot next April.

For more information, contact Councilmember Cornegy's office at (718) 919-0740.

Lead image courtesy of the Participatory Budgeting Project