Participatory Budgeting Voting Results Are In

Donny Levit -
ArtBuilt Mobile Studio — one of the projects that was selected in the PBNYC vote. (Courtesy of ArtBuilt)

The PBNYC voting results are in!

Residents from across our district turned out in record numbers to vote for projects involving schools, libraries, parks, streets, and other shared spaces throughout the neighborhood. In our District 39 alone, 3100 people voted — an expansion of democracy in our community.

“After five very successful years of PBNYC in our district, it’s remarkable to see how this idea has taken off across the city,” writes Council Member Brad Lander. “This year 28 districts participated (up from just four when we started) and tens of thousands of New Yorkers voted citywide. It was a great year for PBNYC.”

The winners of this year’s PBNYC projects are listed below:

Council Member Lander’s district — Capital Projects Ballot:

  • New “Lake Mess Monster,” an Aquatic Weed Harvester ($140,000) – 1692 votes
  • Year-Round, Freeze-Resistant Drinking Fountains ($175,000) – 1541 votes
  • Bus Clocks on B67/B69: Know When Bus Arrives! ($240,000) — 1533 votes
  • Create Teen Space at Carroll Gardens Library ($350,000) – 1321 votes
  • West Brooklyn Community HS Portable Laptop Lab ($105,000) –1275 votes
  • “Mobile Studios” for Artists and Orgs in Gowanus ($150,000) – 1122 votes
  • Curb Extension & Safer Crossing- Carroll Park ($150,000) – 1115 votes
  • Retrofit 75 Auditorium Lights for Safety at PS 282 ($200,000) – 1024 votes

Council Member Lander’s district — “Programming” Ballot:

  • Translation Equipment for Multi-Lingual Schools ($25,000) – 1891 votes
  • Music Equipment for Three Senior Centers ($5,000) – 1618 votes
  • Overnight Book Drops at Three Library Branches ($24,000) – 1388 votes

Lander points out that this is the first step of a larger process:

“This vote is just the first step towards completing these projects. My office will be working with City agencies to ensure that community stakeholders stay involved as the projects are implemented. Don’t expect to see completed projects right away. Some projects from past years are already complete, but others still require at least a couple years of planning, community input, and construction. You should expect the same from this year’s winning projects. You can track the progress made on previous winners here.”

We recently featured one of the winning projects — the “Mobile Studios” for Artists and Organizations in Gowanus. You can read our article here to see how this project could unfold in the neighborhood.

“PBNYC is spreading its reach here in our district too – even among those not yet old enough to cast a ballot,” writes Lander. “This year at PS 107, students engaged in a process modeled after PBNYC where they researched needs and voted on how to spend a portion of PTA funds. (The students picked sports equipment for the playground, science materials requested by the science teacher, and a board game for every classroom!)”

In 2013, Council Member Brad Lander was honored by President Obama for the “Champions of Change” ceremony for his efforts with the participatory budgeting process.