Want A Say In How Your Tax Dollars Are Spent? Get Involved In The 45th Council District’s Participatory Budgeting Process
What would you like to see funded in our neighborhood? Something for the libraries? The schools? Transportation?
If you live in the district, you’ll be able to vote on how to allocate about $1 million in capital funding in our area (as part of a program called participatory budgeting) – but before that, Councilman Jumaane Williams is looking for neighbors to help out with the program that allows residents to get directly involved in the political process.
Williams will kick off the participatory budgeting cycle in the 45th District (which covers our neighborhood) with a volunteer recruitment meeting tomorrow, October 14 at his district office, located at 4517 Avenue D. The gathering will be held from 6:30pm to 8pm, and it’s open to all constituents.
During tomorrow’s gathering, you’ll hear how volunteers can help out with the participatory budgeting process, including coordinating meeting space; helping with food, childcare, and language interpretation at meetings; planning and distributing outreach in the district; and more.
“I am excited that the people of District 45 have continued to show their support for participatory budgeting, and look forward to a fourth successful year,” Williams said in a statement to the media. “PB has been an empowering form of open democracy which has not only gained momentum within our own neighborhood, but has continued to expand citywide. For the past three years, PB has served as a great tool to build up school infrastructures and fund capital projects District 45 constituents find most important. As we enter our fourth year, I look forward to seeing more people getting involved so that these projects continue to improve our community, for example, with sanitation efforts, in very real ways.”
Projects that have been funded in the 45th Council District in the past include hundreds of thousands of dollars for security cameras, the addition of a curb extension on Linden Boulevard, and desktops, laptops, Smart Boards, and more technology for students. You can see a complete list of the projects here.
Neighbors should also mark their calendars for upcoming participatory budgeting meetings, during which they’ll be able to discuss what they’d like to see funded. The meetings will be held:
- Monday, October 27, 6-8pm at the Clarendon Road Church (3304 Clarendon Road).
- Wednesday, November 12, 6:30-8pm, at the Glenwood Houses Community Center (5816 Farragut Road).
For additional information, contact the District 45 Participatory Budgeting Fellow Naiya Stewart by emailing pb45district@gmail.com or calling 718-629-2900.