NEW YORK, NY (04/04/2012)(readMedia)-- Council Members Brad Lander (D-Brooklyn), Melissa Mark-Viverito (D-Manhattan), Eric Ulrich (R-Queens) and Jumaane D. Williams (D-Brooklyn) came together on the steps of City Hall Wednesday with partners from Community Voices Heard, the Participatory Budgeting Project, and the Urban Justice Center's Community Development Project and dozens of local organizations to declare the results of the groundbreaking participatory budgeting vote held last week. Participatory budgeting (PB) is a new process for capital budgeting in which voters in participating districts directly decide how to spend millions of their own tax dollars, a first in New York City and only the second such initiative in the United States.

Council Member Jumaane D. Williams, who was announcing for the first time the winning projects that will receive funding in his district, said, "Participatory budgeting has been a great success in its first year in New York City. We have seen such enthusiasm from our community, who are eager to be engaged and empowered in civic matters. That was the greatest benefit our district received, even bigger than the vote itself. I look forward to continuing to support initiatives that increase local participation in our democracy."

Over 2,000 residents came together in 27 public meetings during the fall and winter to discuss local priorities and design specific infrastructure projects to address the needs of their communities. Over 250 volunteers then worked to refine and prioritize proposals for the vote. Each council member has reserved at least $1 million in capital funds for their constituents to allocate. The council members will be joined by members of the citywide steering committee as well as local district committee members and budget delegates.

Council Member Brad Lander said, "This is revolutionary civics in action. Participatory budgeting helps to restore confidence in democratic government as a vehicle for collective action to solve problems. New Yorkers showed that when you give them the opportunity to make real decisions, they will take that power seriously, work together, and make good choices. I was overwhelmed by the turnout and deep level of engagement, and I'm thrilled that we are funding the projects that the people have prioritized."

Participatory budgeting engages a diverse range of New Yorkers-particularly those that are underrepresented in traditional political processes. In District 8, Latinos were 39% of voters in the 2009 City Council elections. However, 47% of PB voters identified as Latino. Likewise, In District 45, Black or African Americans were 79% of voters in 2009 City Council elections. However, 85% of the district's PB voters identified as Black or African American.

Council Member Melissa Mark-Viverito said, "In our district, participatory budgeting has led to new civic engagement and new ideas for how to improve our neighborhoods. Hundreds of local residents came together to discuss the most important priorities for our community, and they did not just talk but collaborated on proposals for how to solve important issues such as improving security, providing services for seniors and getting better technology in our libraries. I was proud to be part of this process that got so many community members working together to make a difference."

Council Member Eric Ulrich said, "Participatory budgeting has been a huge success in District 32. More than 1,600 residents of Broad Channel and the Rockaways cast their votes, and nearly 2,000 people participated in the process overall, in which they actually had a say in how to spend their money. I'm grateful to the many residents who clearly love their communities and gave of their time and talent towards make this pilot project a huge success. I am pleased with the quality and quantity of the 9 projects selected in my district, totaling $1,372,000, and look forward to continuing our work together in seeing these projects implemented."

People got involved in the process through a variety of networks and outreach methods, including council member newsletters, family and friends, and community organizations and institutions.

Agnes Rivera, Co-Chair of the Board of Community Voices Heard, the lead community engagement partner for the initiative, said, "CVH anchored the participatory budgeting process in the grassroots by playing the lead community engagement role. We did everything from learning about participatory budgeting at the World Social Forum years ago to helping design the process at the city-level. We passed out flyers, made calls, worked as budget delegates, and staffed polling sites. PBNYC has shown once again the commitment of those left out of the traditional voting process, including those who lack the right to vote. It's powerful to see people like undocumented immigrants actively participate in our democracy. PBNYC was a wild success and we look forward to the second year."

Josh Lerner, Executive Director of the Participatory Budgeting Project, the lead technical assistance partner for the initiative, said, "New York has joined over 3,000 cities around the world that give residents real power over real money. Participatory budgeting has shown thousands of people across the city and the country that they have the right to decide how to spend taxpayer money, and the capacity to spend it wisely."

Throughout the process, data was collected to track participation, attitudes towards government, civic participation and leadership skills. Alexa Kasdan, Director of Research and Policy for the Community Development Project at the Urban Justice Center--the group that collected the data--said, "Our data found that participatory budgeting engages a diverse range of New Yorkers – many of whom are left out of traditional political processes or have never participated in community activism before – and builds concrete leadership skills, increases trust in elected officials and expands people's social and political networks." 29% of PB voters identified as African American, 20% as Hispanic or Latino; 64% were women; about half earned below the median income and 21% were born outside of the United States. [Read the full data summary here].

Rachel Laforest, Executive Director of Right to the City Alliance (RTC) and member of the PBNYC Steering Committee said, "Right to the City Alliance supports participatory budgeting (PB) because it demystifies the budget process and increases access to low income communities of color, immigrants and other often excluded groups in our cities. PB can be a valuable tool for democratizing governance. RTC is committed to helping the spread of PB in New York and in other cities throughout the U.S utilizing a national agenda of model shares, leadership development and political education."

Angel D. Mescain, Assistant District Manager of Manhattan Community Board 11 said, "Community Board 11 is pleased to have participated in this unique opportunity for our communities to engage in how discretionary resources are allocated on their behalf. Our board was represented by both board members and staff who helped facilitate neighborhood assemblies, serve as budget delegates and to chair the district committee."

Alissa Wassung, a Budget Delegate for PBNYC in Council District 32, said, "PBNYC was a primary catalyst for my becoming active with the Rockaway Beach community. Through the process I met all my neighbors, learned the history of my area, made closer ties to the civic organizations near my home and fell more in love with where I live. Through PBNYC, all the delegates were introduced to the City budgeting process, the somewhat daunting means whereby major decisions are made in our City. This deep participation has highlighted what I see as the true benefit of PBNYC: it has made decision-making structures that have always been present in my community transparent and this knowledge allows citizens to take a more active part in the day-to-day administration of my district."

Mamnun Haq, a Budget Delegate for PBNYC in Council District 39, said, "Participatory budgeting gave my community a voice in how the city invests in this neighborhood. It was great to debate the projects with my neighbors, teach them about our community, and learn about theirs."

Morgan Gabriel, District Committee Member of Council District 45, said, "The District 45 community would like to commend Council Member Jumaane Williams on presenting the opportunity for all of us to engage in participatory budgeting. We live in a time when most feel disillusioned regarding whether government can solve problems and whether the common man can affect change on the ground level. PB has ignited a new fervor and commitment to real grassroots change. Throughout this long, sometimes daunting but always rewarding process, we have all worked with new people with whom we would not have had the opportunity to engage on the city pavements. Together, we immersed ourselves in navigating the bureaucracy of city governance. We saw firsthand how difficult the challenges are, be they administrative or economic. We gained a greater understanding of the trials, tribulations, and triumphs of what government can do and what people who care about making our district safe and prosperous, must do to bring about such ends. PB reinforces the fact that the work of the community begins but does not end on Election Day. We have to keep helping those we elect to know the concerns and needs of their respective constituents in order to find fit solutions."

The participants all re-stated their commitment to participating in participatory budgeting for the coming year, a process which the NY Times described as "the sound of revolutionary civics in action."

WINNING PROJECTS

Winning projects in Council Member Jumaane D. Williams' Brooklyn district include:

1. Security cameras in various locations throughout the district ($400,000; 819 votes)
2. Funding toward purchase/renovation of space for community resource center ($350,000; 806 votes)
3. Flood lighting in each park in the district ($150,000; 747 votes)
4. E-Tech Campus for CAMBA Beacon Program at P.S. 269 ($150,000; 436 votes)
5. Field lights for Tilden Educational Campus ($300,000; 393 votes)

Winning projects in Council Member Brad Lander's Brooklyn district include:

1. Renovation of two dysfunctional bathrooms at PS 124 ($150,000; 958 votes)
2. Innovative community composting system near Gowanus Canal to turn 1 ton/day of food waste into soil ($165,000; 919 votes)
3. Planting 100 new trees on blocks throughout the district with few or no trees ($100,000; 767 votes)
4. New technology for PS 130 & PS 154 ($140,000; 758 votes)
5. Repairing Prospect Park pedestrian paths to prevent flooding, and adding trash cans in the park ($205,000; 648 votes)
6. Repairs & safety improvements at the dangerous Prospect Expressway/Church Avenue pedestrian crossing ($200,000; 606 votes)
7. New books and equipment for the Kensington public library to enhance the branch's use for meetings, storytelling, rehearsals, and small performances promoting Kensington's cultural diversity ($80,000; 582 votes)

Winning projects in Council Member Melissa Mark-Viverito's Manhattan and Bronx district include:

1.Transportation for Seniors and Meals-on-Wheels Delivery Van ($100,000; 579 votes)
2. Security Cameras in Several NYCHA Developments, including Jefferson, Johnson, Betances, Millbrook, Washington, Taft, Clinton and Wagner complexes. ($525,000; 499 votes)
3. Playground Improvements at both Douglass and Millbrook Houses. ($500,000; 300 votes)
4. A Home for Harlem RBI and Dream Charter School ($250,000; 292 votes)
5. Ultrasound System for Metropolitan Hospital ($105,000; 252 votes)
6. New Technology for New York Public Library's Aguilar Branch ($60,000; 248 votes)

Winning projects in Council Member Eric Ulrich's Queens district include:

1. Technology Upgrades at PS 47, PS 317/MS318, PS 114 ($230,000; 1,010 votes)
2. Cascade (Oxygen Refill) System for Volunteer Fire Departments ($ 60,000; 870 votes)
3. Water Pump for Volunteer Fire Departments to Alleviate Flooding ($ 39,000; 804 votes)
4. Pagers for Four Volunteer Fire Departments ($ 48,000; 770 votes)
5. Handicapped Bathroom Upgrade for Knights of Columbus, Rockaway Council ($45,000; 427 votes)
6. Gazebo/Bandstand/Outdoor Performance Space on Shorefront Parkway ($150,000; 396 votes)
7. Library Vending Machine in Breezy Point ($200,000; 392 votes)
8. Six Argus Security Cameras for 100th Precinct (3 locations) ($100,000; 387 votes)
9. Library Renovation/Upgrade at Peninsula Library Branch ($500,000; 360 votes)

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Posted Wednesday April 04, 2012 at 10:15 am by New York Stimulus Alliance
Last Updated Thursday April 05, 2012 at 02:12 pm