Which Bed-Stuy Projects Should The City Fund? Vote For New B-Ball Courts, Library Marquee, Boys And Girls Carpentry Lab, More

BROOKLYN, NY — Seems like just yesterday every red-blooded New Yorker over age 14 was racing to the polls for Participatory Budgeting Vote Week 2016, making controversial neighborhood decisions like whether to divert taxpayer money toward a "Lake Mess Monster" aquatic weed harvester for Prospect Park or a fleet of roving "mobile studios" for starving artists in Gowanus.

JK. Only a few thousand residents (at most) in each of the city's 51 districts ever bother to vote in these things. The vast majority probably don't even know they exist.

Considering how much of our own cash is on the line, though, that's kind of a shame. And some of the proposals can be pretty rad — this year, for example, Bed-Stuy residents have the chance to sink half a mill into fully refurbished basketball courts for the Sumner Houses.

So what do you say we make 2017 the year Participatory Budgeting became the cool thing to do? You know, over a beer with a neighbor on a Friday night.

Scroll down for a list of projects in Bed-Stuy vying for $1 million to $2 million in city funds this year.

If you're not familiar with any of them (and aren't much of a basketball person), this whole process may seem like a waste of time. But think what a difference your vote could make for, say, a local school seeking computers, a carpentry workshop or a STEM robotics lab for kids.

Now that we've guilted you into some good, old-fashioned community involvement: Before you vote, you'll have to figure out which City Council district you live in.

Unfortunately, because municipal governments can never do things the easy way, NYC's political districts aren't divided cleanly by neighborhood. So you'll have to plug in your address here to find your City Council district. Or, if you like to live on the edge, do your best to geolocate yourself in either the 36th or 41st district on these maps:

Once you know your City Council district — feels kinda good, doesn't it? — you can browse nearby projects in need of city funds. We've listed them below.

And once you've decided which ones you want to support, you can vote for your 5 favorites online (or in person) between Saturday, March 25, and Sunday, April 2.

That's pretty much it. Get to democratizing, you crazy kids:

BED-STUY

If you live in Bed-Stuy and your home is located within Robert Cornegy Jr.'s 36th City Council district, below are your options for neighborhood projects to fund. And here's where you can vote in person.

Exterior Signage Upgrade

• Including stainless steel, digital signage and promotional banners.
• Marcy Library, 617 Dekalb Avenue, Bed-Stuy
• $70,000

Carpentry Lab #Buildsmart

• Carpentry lab to facilitate high school and technical school carpentry curriculum.
• Boys and Girls High School, 1700 Fulton Street, Bed-Stuy
• $92,529

STEM Initiative #STEMsmart

• STEM robotics lab at Brighter Choice Community School and science cart for P.S. 308.
• Brighter Choice Community School and P.S. 308, Bed-Stuy
• $275,640

Technology Expansion #Smarttechkidsz #Techsmart

• Smart boards, smart tables, computer tables, computers, laptop carts, laptop bundles and printers for technology upgrade.
• P.S. 256, Bed-Stuy; P.S. 289, Crown Heights; P.S. 305, Bed-Stuy
• $225,000

Fitness Initiative #Fitsmart

• Basketball court renovations for 2 gyms at M.S. 35, update fitness room, spin bikes, elliptical trainers and aerobics mats.
• M.S. 35, 272 Macdonough Street, Bed-Stuy
• $77,035

Sumner Houses Basketball Court Reconstruction

• Full reconstruction and resurfacing of basketball court including hoops, netting and bleachers.
• Marcus Garvey between Myrtle and Park Avenue, Bed-Stuy
• $500,000

Closed Circuit TV Security

• Install closed circuit television security.
• Nostrand Avenue Train Station (A&C), Bed-Stuy
• $500,000

Smooth Streets for Bed-Stuy and Crown Heights

• Resurface streets with major cracks, potholes in parts of Community Boards 8 and 3.
• Varies within the district
• $250,000

#CultureLivesHere: Celebrate Local Culture with Signs

• Directional signs to Restoration Plaza and Weeksville Heritage Center from Downtown Brooklyn to serve as cultural markers to landmark neighborhoods.
• Bedford and Crown Heights Historic Districts
• $40,000

If you, on the other hand, live in Bed-Stuy but your home is located within Darlene Mealy's 41st City Council district, you're out of luck: Mealy hasn't yet implemented Participatory Budgeting in her district. Let her know what you think about that here.