In The Press

The Participatory Budget Assemblies held throughout various neighborhoods in District 39 is a prime example of democracy at work. Although different neighborhoods were involved, the same project ideas were being suggested at each of the meetings. Public Safety, Public Health, and Sanitation were the primary concerns when discussing how the funds would benefit and improve the neighborhoods.

If you took part in any of the recent Participatory Budgeting Meetings, then you just made history. The Participatory Budgeting Project that’s currently taking place in New York is the largest Participatory Budgeting experiment in the United States. Chicago was the first to implement Participatory Budgeting but is overshadowed by NYC in terms of population. Participatory Budgeting for NYC is still in its early stage of the process but has generated a lot of positive feedback.

Participatory Budgeting delegate meetings are finally in process and will continue through February. This is an important step in Participatory Budgeting process because the ideas suggested by constituents during Participatory Budgeting meetings are being drafted into full proposals.

Constituents of District 8 express their concerns about Participatory Budgeting as well as suggesting creative project ideas on how to spend the one million productively. 

Brad Lander, Brooklyn City Councilman (D-39), and Melissa Mark-Viverito, city council member representing East Harlem and parts of the Bronx and Upper West Side discuss their new plan to involve constituents in budget allocation.

The flourescent halls of PS 58 were abuzz with anticipation Thursday night as more than 80 residents of Carroll Gardens and surrounding neighborhoods filtered into the school's auditorium for a Participatory Budgeting Assembly.  The forum, hosted by Brad Lander and with support from John Heyer II and Maria Pagano of the Carroll Gardens Neighborhood Association, was held to educate residents on the goals of Lander's groundbreaking participatory budgeting project, and to provide a public discussion and informal brainstorming session for local residents to decide how their government spends tax-payers' dollars.

A New York City councilman says he has $1 million to spend -- and he wants his district members to tell him how to use it. Councilman Jumaane D. Williams, who represents the 45th Council District in Brooklyn, announced Sunday he is allocating $1 million from his capital budget for "participatory budgeting."

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A Brooklyn community is trying to figure out how to spend about $1 million in capital money aimed at improving their district. Katy Tur reports.

Over 120 curious uptown residents gathered last week to take part in a brief but highly-anticipated political experiment: They began deciding how to spend a sliver of the city budget in their own neighborhood.

A dog run, better lighting and security at subway stations, more trees, and community composting were just some of the ideas presented at last night’s Windsor Terrace Participatory Budgeting meeting. More than 70 neighbors gathered at PS 154 to learn more about Councilmember Brad Lander’s plan, which allows community members in his district to propose ideas for capital improvements, and then vote on how to spend $1 million of discretionary funds.

Residents in East Harlem and parts of the Upper West Side will have a say in how $1 million in capital funds are spent throughout their neighborhoods in next year's budget process.  East Harlem City Councilwoman Melissa Mark-Viverito is one of four councilmembers trying out participatory budgeting, a process where community members get to vote on which community projects receive funding.

Old First Reformed Church in Park Slope filled its walls with more than 100 residents who were attending the neighborhood Participatory Budgeting Assembly. As you would expect, there were many project ideas that was suggested that would generate productivity and efficiency for the neighborhood. Some ideas residents proposed were to construct more public bike lanes, benches and to place more garbage cans on the streets. These project ideas are just the beginning for a better neighborhood.

Here's your chance to put your tax dollars where you want them. Does that empty lot on the corner get you down? Do you want to see more trash cans on your block? You just might be able to do something about it, if you get involved with the new participatory budgeting initiative.

What would you do with a million dollars? I'm sure you have the answer, but four New York City Council Members apparently don't. They each have a million dollars in discretionary taxpayer funds and need your help on how to spend it.

In four New York City Council districts, residents will soon be able to propose and vote on capital projects to be funded by councilmember's budgets. Yesterday, Council Member Brad Lander (D-Brooklyn), Council Member Melissa Mark-Viverito (D-Manhattan), Council Member Eric Ulrich (R-Queens) and Council Member Jumaane D. Williams (D-Brooklyn) unveiled a new process for budgeting, in which voters in their districts will directly decide how to spend millions of their own tax dollars, a first in New York City.

市議員將選擇性撥款(discretionary fund)中飽私囊或撥給自己關係良好的社區機構的醜聞頻頻曝光後，四位市議員14日提出在自己區內改革選擇性撥款的方式，讓每個社區居民，甚至包括無證 移民，用投票方式來決定選擇性撥款的分配，這個過程稱為「參與性預算」（participatory budgeting）。

政府预算关切到每个人的生活，从交通、教育、医疗健保、公共安全、公园与市政建设，到住房及环保，无不涉及政府预算，如何让政府的财政政策更贴近民意，照 顾社会各阶层的真正需要，四名市议员9月14日宣布，从他们的选区开始将试验一种新的民主方式，以“参与式预算”（participatory budgeting）的方式，让市民当家作主。

Not a totally hypothetical question! Four city council members have decided to engage in "participatory budgeting," meaning that they'll let their constituents help choose how to spend their districts' $1 million discretionary funds. So if you live in Brad Lander, Jumaane D. Williams, Melissa Mark-Viverito, or Eric Ulrich's districts, start spitballing.

"We are excited to put budgeting power directly in the hands of the people," said Councilman Brad Lander (D-Brooklyn). The initiative, called participatory budgeting, will let residents voice their ideas at public meetings this fall.

Residents of the 39th City Council District in Brooklyn will get the opportunity to participate in a pilot program that allows everyday citizens to decide how city funds are spent in their neighborhoods. In a press conference Wednesday afternoon at City Hall, Councilman Brad Lander, D-Brooklyn, announced the launch of a "participatory budgeting" initiative that will be rolled out during the 2011-12 fiscal year in four Council Districts across the city.

New York City Council members are handing over their dollar decisions to who else ... the City's residents. Councilman Jumaane Williams stood alongside fellow council members during the announcement of Participatory Budgeting on City Hall's steps Wednesday.

Four New York City Council members are letting their constituents decide how to spend $4 million dollars in discretionary funding. Under the new pilot program, residents in the 8th, 39th, 45th and 32nd districts will be allowed to attend community meetings to nominate possible projects needed in the areas.

There is no way this could go wrong, right? The Times tells us today that "Four City Council members, intrigued by experiments begun in Brazil to let ordinary citizens determine how government uses tax dollars, say they plan to allow their constituents to decide how $4 million is spent next year."

Today, Council Member Brad Lander (D-Brooklyn), Council Member Melissa Mark-Viverito (D-Manhattan), Council Member Eric Ulrich (R-Queens) and Council Member Jumaane D. Williams (D-Brooklyn), unveiled a new process for budgeting, in which voters in their districts will directly decide how to spend millions of their own tax dollars, a first in New York City. Through the new initiative, called participatory budgeting, residents will come together in public meetings this fall to discuss local priorities and propose specific infrastructure projects to address the needs of their communities.

Four City Council members, intrigued by experiments begun in Brazil to let ordinary citizens determine how government uses tax dollars, say they plan to allow their constituents to decide how $4 million is spent next year. Through a process known as participatory budgeting, constituents in each of the four Council districts will be enlisted to develop and choose among proposals for local capital projects like street repairs, new parks and public artworks. The money — $1 million in each district — will come out of the council members’ discretionary funds. (Among the city’s Council districts, discretionary funds range in size from $1.5 million to $6 million.)