Participatory Budgeting Voting Results Are In For Districts Represented By Eugene, Lander & Williams

The people have spoken — at least when it comes to participatory budgeting.

Tens of thousands of New Yorkers voted this Spring on how to spend public dollars via Participatory Budgeting — the highest turnout yet in five years. This year, 28 City Council districts participated, up from just four when PB started.

Residents of the 39th (Brad Lander), 40th (Mathieu Eugene), 44th (David Greenfield), and 45th (Jumaane Williams) Council districts were able to vote directly for a wide variety of capital projects proposed by their neighbors, and decide how to spend at least 1 million dollars of their local Council Member’s discretionary funds.

Here are the voting results for three of the four City Council districts in our area. We are still awaiting results from Council Member David Greenfield.

Council Member Lander’s district
Thirty-one hundred residents participated in PB voting in Lander’s district. Council Member Lander also initiated a second ballot of “programming” projects — “an entirely new voting opportunity for the first time this year.”

Capital Projects Ballot Winners (CM Lander)

• 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

“Programming” Ballot Winners (CM Lander)

• 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

Council Member Eugene’s district

Almost one-thousand (984) voters participated in PB this year in the 40th District. The nine winning projects are:

• Computer Lab Updates for PS 249, PS 245, PS 139, and PS 6 ($140,000) — 803 votes
• Community Barbecue Sites in Prospect Park ($80,000) — 522 votes
• Gymnasium Upgrades at Erasmus High School ($150,000) — 514 votes
• Technology Updates for M.S. 2 Parkside Academy ($35,000) — 489 votes
• Replacement of “Lake Mess Monster” ($70,000) — 440 votes
• Smartboards for P.S. 92 ($175,000) — 396 votes
• Real-Time Passenger Information ($200,000) — 385 votes
• Kensington Dog Run ($135,000) — 309 votes
• P.S. 92 Sidewalk Extension ($300,000) — 232 votes

Council Member Jumaane Williams’ district

More than 1,900 ballots for 16 projects were cast at sites throughout Williams’ district. Three winning capital projects, which total $1,000,000 in cost, will be submitted for allocation by Council Member Williams for the upcoming fiscal year.

• Technology Upgrades for Midwood High School
• Fix Our Streets in Community Board 14
• Vision Zero/New Bus Pads