This is the last weekend you’ll be able to vote for local improvement projects via the New York City Council’s Participatory Budgeting Program, and the best news is you can vote from the comfort of your cozy apartment.
The participatory budgeting process is a way for council members to get input from the community regarding capital improvement projects in the district. Capital improvements range from resurfacing potholed roads to buying laptops for students to improving facilities in public housing. You can check out a map detailing the options in each participating district.
Organizers tout participatory budgeting as “grassroots democracy at its best. It helps make budget decisions clear and accessible. It gives real power to people who have never before been involved in the political process. And it results in better budget decisions—because who better knows the needs of our community than the people who live there?”
When you log on to the website you’ll be prompted to select your district—or search for it if you don’t know—to see the list of projects seeking funding. And instead of having to choose one from the many worthy options, you can select up to five. But hurry because voting is over at the end of the weekend.
And then when you’re done voting, don’t forget to pop into that meeting tonight with NYC’s public advocate, Letitia James, to see what else can be done about changing Bushwick for the better.
Photo courtesy of Joe Brusky via Flickr.