The "Participatory Budget" Project...

On Wednesday, August 31, 2011, the W12thRd Block Association attended an informational presentation at St. Camillus in Rockaway regarding the “Participatory Budget” pilot project that will take place within our City Council District 32 via the auspices of Councilman Eric Ulrich.

Four City Council members, intrigued by experiments begun in Brazil to let ordinary citizens determine how government uses tax dollars, say they plan to allow their constituents to decide how $4 million is spent next year.

Through a process known as participatory budgeting, constituents in each of the four Council districts will be enlisted to develop and choose among proposals for local capital projects like street repairs, new parks and public artworks. The money — $1 million in each district — will come out of the council members’ discretionary funds.

Three Democrats, Brad Lander and Jumaane D. Williams of Brooklyn, and Melissa Mark-Viverito of Manhattan, and one Republican, Eric Ulrich of Queens, are taking part.

Participatory budgeting has been used for years in some Brazilian communities and is now being used in parts of Africa, Asia, Canada and Europe, but the only parallel in the United States, council members say, is in Chicago. Alderman Joe Moore introduced participatory budgeting in his district in North Chicago two years ago; he said in a telephone interview that it was “easily the most popular initiative that I have ever undertaken” in 20 years on the Chicago City Council. The projects financed so far, he said, included a community garden, a dog park and murals under train underpasses
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The approximately $1 million in discretionary funds being made available by Councilman Ulrich will solely involve capital funds (infrastructure related) and cannot be utilized as an expense funds. 

A District Committee for our CD32 area is now planning the opening round of neighborhood assemblies, which will last throughout October. 

A neighborhood assembly for Broad Channel will be scheduled during early October at which time volunteer budget delegates, selected at the assemblies, will then meet for 3-4 months to develop final budget proposals. In March 2012, residents in District 32 will vote on the proposals, and the top vote getters will be included in the city budget for 2013.

The idea of a taxpaying citizenry having a say in how their money is used is one which I believe we can all agree with. Additionally, this project provides a real means of educating ourselves regarding the process of government within the city and more specifically, the process of the budget, pursuant to the City Charter.
This project provides the residents of Broad Channel with a unique opportunity to come together as a community to...

     * Ensure that the finances of the local government  (approximately $1 million dollars of discretionary funds) are properly accounted for and thus decrease the potential for abuse by individuals both within and outside the system.

                      * To involve the community in the priority-setting and budgeting process.

      *To nurture civic engagement and educate ourselves regarding the process of local     government.

As soon as we are able to finalize the date, time and location of the October 2011 Broad Channel Neighborhood Assembly we will advise you of same.