One Brooklyn
June 7, 2016
VOTES FROM MORE THAN 26,000 BROOKLYNITES DETERMINE ALLOCATION OF OVER $15M FOR LOCALLY-DEVELOPED FY17 CAPITAL PROJECTS ACROSS BROOKLYN, INCLUDING $1M IN FIRST-EVER COMMITMENT BY BOROUGH PRESIDENT TO AMPLIFY CONSTITUENT VOICES IN PB PROCESS
Today, Council Speaker Melissa Mark-Viverito and Brooklyn Borough President Eric L. Adams unveiled the impact of trailblazing expansion of participatory budgeting (PB), a democratic process in which local residents directly decide how to spend part of a public budget, which increased the number of community-driven projects funded in council districts that encompass more than 60 percent of Brooklyn. Over 26,000 Brooklyn residents cast ballots at locations across the borough — including at Brooklyn Borough Hall — during the 2015-2016 participatory budgeting cycle voting period, which took place between Saturday, March 26th and Sunday, April 3rd. Fifty-five out of 132 projects on Brooklyn’s ballots will be funded with $15,549,000 of taxpayer dollars, including a $1 million contribution from Borough President Adams apportioned equally to winning projects from the votes conducted by the 10 council members in the borough who are participating in PB this year. During a tour of the Willoughby Senior Center in Fort Greene, which will benefit from the voters’ support for a $500,000 new heating, ventilating, and air conditioning (HVAC) system funded through the Fiscal Year 2017 (FY17) capital budgets of Council Member Laurie A. Cumbo and Borough President Adams, elected officials and community leaders joined together to highlight how the growth of PB in Brooklyn is helping to advance the causes of civic engagement, fiscal transparency, and good government throughout the city.
“Brooklyn has a special place in our city’s participatory budgeting process,” said Speaker Mark-Viverito. “Two of the four council members to bring participatory budgeting to New York City represent Brooklyn, and out of 28 districts across the city currently engaged in participatory budgeting, 10 are in this great borough. Over 26,000 Brooklyn residents cast ballots in 2015-2016 participatory budgeting cycle voting week, and I am pleased to announce that 55 locally-developed projects will be funded with over $15,500,000, including a $1 million allocation from Borough President Adams. Brooklyn understands the importance of diversity, of civic engagement, of democracy that is for the people and by the people. I thank all the Brooklynites who participated and I urge all of you to get involved in the upcoming cycle.”
“It means a lot to be the first local elected official or agency head outside of the City Council to commit to PB, a revolutionary approach to growing democracy from the ground up,” said Borough President Adams. “From Bensonhurst to Bushwick, Brooklynites have raised their voices and will directly benefit from the community improvements that they have prioritized with their votes. I am proud to partner with Speaker Mark-Viverito and the Brooklyn delegation to put Brooklyn squarely at the forefront of the direct democracy movement.”
The $100,000 designated by Borough President Adams for PB in each participating council district expanded that council member’s committed PB allotment, resulting in additional projects winning funding in the upcoming fiscal year:
- Eight security cameras in Bensonhurst – $200,000
- Upgraded computer carts at PS 261 Philip Livingston in Boerum Hill – $140,000
- Air-conditioned gym at PS 257 John F. Hylan in Bushwick – $250,000
- Upgrades at Brower Park basketball courts in Crown Heights – $600,000
- HVAC system for the Willoughby Senior Center in Fort Greene – $500,000
- Renovations for the children’s play area of McDonald Playground in Gravesend – $500,000
- Kensington Dog Run – $135,000
- Street repairs on Avenue J, Avenue K, Nostrand Avenue, and Ocean Avenue in Midwood – $500,000
- Sidewalk extension by Little Red Riding Hood Day Care Center in Prospect Lefferts-Gardens –$300,000
- Sunset Park renovation – $500,000
For the 2015-2016 cycle, 10 Brooklyn council members facilitated PB in their districts:
- Stephen Levin (District 33)
- Antonio Reynoso (District 34)
- Laurie A. Cumbo (District 35)
- Robert E. Cornegy, Jr. (District 36)
- Carlos Menchaca (District 38)
- Brad Lander (District 39)
- Mathieu Eugene (District 40)
- David G. Greenfield (District 44)
- Jumaane D. Williams (District 45)
- Mark Treyger (District 47)
“The inaugural undertaking of the participatory budgeting process has yielded positive results,” said Council Member Cornegy. “With the generous support from Borough President Adams and the additional money pledged by myself, our community was awarded with bonus projects, such as the revamping of Brower Park’s basketball courts. Our winning projects will be beneficial to all members of our community and we look forward to its implementation.”
“I want to thank Speaker Mark-Viverito for her leadership and continued commitment to civic engagement,” said Council Member Cumbo. “I was proud to implement participatory budgeting in the 35th District for the very first time to gain key insight into the needs that exist within the Brooklyn neighborhoods of Fort Greene, Clinton Hill, Crown Heights, Prospect Heights, and Bedford-Stuyvesant. Our 19 projects ranged from public safety enhancements to technology upgrades on our city streets, housing developments, and public schools. This was an exciting time for the diverse voices of my district to allocate real money towards real projects as a reflection of real power. With 1,660 votes in our inaugural year, this endeavor was overwhelmingly successful thanks to the participation of our youth, seniors, and families. With the support of Borough President Adams and his investment of $1 million across our borough’s 10 participating districts, the Willoughby Senior Center will receive a new HVAC system.”
“Participatory budgeting is an amazing initiative that allows citizens to have a direct say in how their tax dollars are spent,” said Council Member Greenfield. “I’m proud of the great turnout we had in Brooklyn, and I’m excited about the amazing projects that we will be funding to make our neighborhoods better, safer, more beautiful places to live. I want to thank Borough President Adams for his commitment to this important initiative. I also want to thank Speaker Mark-Viverito for her vision and leadership in bringing government to the people in this way, as well as my colleagues on the Council who took part in this great process. It is truly a privilege to serve the city I love with so many wonderful colleagues and leaders.”
“After five very successful years of PB in my district, it’s remarkable to see how this idea has taken off across Brooklyn,” said Council Member Lander. “This year even more districts across the borough participated, and thousands of Brooklyn residents cast their ballots. My district saw its highest vote total to date, with 3,100 people coming out to take part in expanding democracy and support our neighborhoods. We held polling stations across the district from mosques to senior centers to a very rainy Little League parade, and even had a mobile vote station attached to the back of a bike. This year we took the opportunity to further expand PB by offering a second ballot for expense projects too. I’m so thrilled to see how this idea has grown each year, both in my district and throughout Brooklyn. Thank you to so many of colleagues for participating this year, and to Borough President Adams for his support of PB in Brooklyn.”
“An ideal participatory budgeting process engages groups and individuals from all walks of life, especially in a borough as diverse as Brooklyn,” said Council Member Levin. “Next year, I look forward to seeing even more members participate and share their visions for positive change in the neighborhood.”
“I thank Borough President Adams for understanding the positive impact of participatory budgeting,” said Council Member Menchaca. “His generous commitment of funds will amplify the voices of Brooklyn residents who collaborated by choosing worthy projects. Participatory budgeting is one of the ways we can transform people’s relationship with government using direct democracy. Brooklyn now leads the nation and the world in giving residents a voice in decisions that directly affect their communities.”
“This was a really exciting year for PB in Brooklyn and in the whole city,” said Council Member Reynoso. “With the help of Borough President Adams, we were able to fund more projects, which helps to inspire more participation by our communities in this transformative process.”
“Participatory budgeting is an invaluable tool that gives residents an opportunity to help determine how public capital funds are allocated to best serve their communities,” said Council Member Treyger. “It also gives elected officials, myself included, a chance to hear directly from our residents about the issues they feel are most important. As a former educator, it gave me especially great pride to see so many principals, teachers, and students actively engaging in the civic process. The winning projects in the 47th District, including bus countdown clocks, renovations for McDonald Playground, and technology funding for several elementary, middle, and high schools, are initiatives deserving of the attention. I’d like to thank all those who participated, and I would also like to thank Speaker Mark-Viverito for leading the way in increasing the public’s involvement in the civic process.”
“Participatory budgeting is an empowering tool that puts power back into the hands of the people,” said Council Member Williams. “Our winning projects in Brooklyn reflect some of the main priorities of the community. They came together and reached an agreement on what the needs of the community were and put democracy into action by voting on which projects should be funded. These projects included technology upgrades to students at Midwood High School, repairs to streets, and new bus pads to prevent the heat and weight of buses from softening the asphalt and thus damaging the streets. The budget process is one of the most important things I do as an elected official. Participatory budgeting gives people the opportunity to be engaged and learn about the budget process. I look forward to the PB process next year.”
“Participatory budgeting in New York City is already one of the largest and most inclusive civic engagement programs in the world, with the majority of council members now participating,” said Josh Lerner, executive director of the Participatory Budgeting Project, the non-profit leading the growth of participatory budgeting in North America. “Melissa Mark-Viverito and Eric Adams are now taking participatory budgeting to the next level, committing additional City funds to this proven model for community decision-making. We applaud the borough president for investing real money and real power in the people of Brooklyn.”
Voting in PB is open to all residents of participating districts 14 years of age and older. The sole identification requirement is proof of residency in the district, removing traditional obstacles to full civic participation such as youth, income status, English-language proficiency, and citizenship status. A map of winning projects and full voting results by district can be viewed at labs.council.nyc/pb.
PHOTOS
Brooklyn Borough President Eric L. Adams unveiled the impact of the trailblazing expansion of PB in Brooklyn during a visit to the Willoughby Senior Center in Fort Greene, which will benefit from the voters’ support for a new HVAC system funded through the FY17 capital budgets of Council Member Laurie A. Cumbo and Borough President Adams; also pictured are (from left to right) Participatory Budgeting Project Executive Director Josh Lerner, Walt Whitman Tenants Association President Isabella Lee, Council Member Cumbo, PB delegate Jelani Mashariki, and Council Speaker Melissa Mark-Viverito.
Photo Credit: Erica Sherman/Brooklyn BP’s Office
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