Live In Council District 45? Cast Your Participatory Budgeting Vote Today Through Saturday

For our neighbors who live in Councilman Jumaane Williams’ 45th Council District (if you don’t know who your city representative is, you can find out here), you can cast your votes beginning today on how to use $1 million in capital discretionary funding for projects in the area. The voting will run from today, April 13, through Saturday, April 18.

This voting is part of the city’s participatory budgeting program, in which Council members can opt to participate. As part of the program, residents in those lawmakers’ districts can have a direct say on what projects they’d like to see funded in their neighborhoods. This year, residents will be voting on $25 million in funding for projects in 24 Council Districts. While such local elected officials as Williams and Councilman Brad Lander have opted to participate, Councilman Mathieu Eugene, who represents much of our area, has not.

After months of meetings attended by neighbors and community leaders, Williams’ participatory budgeting team whittled the eligible projects down to nine proposals, from which residents can vote for up to five for Williams to fund in the next fiscal year.

Those projects (which you can see on the sample ballot here) are:

• Technology & media space at Rugby Library (1000 Utica Avenue)
  Cost: $35,000
  Project description: Technology space to be incorporated into the youth section of the branch’s renovation plan, including computers, printers/3D printer, and wiring for technology.

• Safe neighborhood streets
  Cost: $40,000
  Project description: Help protect individuals traveling on E. 59th Street and Glenwood Road, where there is a damaged sidewalk.

• Renovate the gym at the Tilden High School Campus
  Cost: $400,000
  Project description: Upgrade the gym at the Tilden High School Campus. Improve the gym that is used by 1,000-plus students, plus staff.

• Repair P.A. system at the Tilden High School Campus
  Cost: $500,000
  Project description: Improve safety for more than 1,000 students in the Tilden High School Campus by repairing the P.A. system in the building. Currently, they have to share emergency information one room at a time.

• Smart Boards at the Tilden High School Campus
  Cost: $100,000
  Project description: Install Smart Boards to the Kurt Hahn School in the Tilden High School Campus to decrease the digital divide for 338 students.

• Improve PS 208
  Cost: $342,000
  Project description: Replace 50-year-old seats, which are in poor condition, add seating for disabled individuals and replace curtains on the stage and windows at PS 208 in East Flatbush.

• Repair restrooms at PS 208
  Cost: $150,000
  Project description: Conduct repair work at four adult and four youth bathrooms at PS 208. Repair these eight spaces and move the radiator in the four youth bathrooms to make them less accessible to children.

• Tech upgrade at I.S. 285 (5909 Beverley Road)
  Cost: $35,000
  Project description: Installing computers will address the lack of access to innovative learning resources at I.S. 285. Computers will be accessible to all students.

• Computers for job readiness & placement
  Cost: $36,025
  Project description This job readiness and job placement program, run out of the HABNET Chamber of Commerce’s office at 1401 Flatbush Avenue, will help reduce unemployment and underemployment in the 45th District for 20 neighbors at a time via these desktop computers.

https://vimeo.com/119601626

There are a number of places throughout the district that you can cast your ballot, an entire list of which you can see here. The polling sites include:

Councilman Jumaane Williams’ district office
Where: 4517 Avenue D
When: Monday, April 13 through Friday, April 17; 10am-5pm

The Bridge Multicultural Project
Where: 1894 Flatbush Avenue
When: Tuesday, April 14 through Thursday, April 16; 6:30pm-8:30pm

Flatbush YMCA
Where: 1401 Flatbush Avenue
When: Saturday, April 18; 6:30pm-8:30pm

To learn more about participatory budgeting in Williams’ district, you can go here, and to learn more about participatory budgeting in general, you can visit the PBNYC’s website.

If you’re a District 40 resident who would like participatory budgeting in your area next year, you can contact Councilmember Mathieu Eugene‘s office by calling 718-287-8762 or emailing Meugene@council.nyc.gov.