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COMMUNITY OP-ED JUNE 02, 2023 | The Indian Eye 14

The People’s Money—Your

Money to Improve Your

Community

Participatory budgeting gives you a direct say in the future of your community. You decide how our money is
spent. Participatory Budgeting strengthens our democracy and deepens civic engagement

ERIC ADAMS

ave you ever looked around
your neighborhood and
Hthought—it would be great
if we could have a community garden
here, or maybe more afterschool pro-
grams for students, or special services
for seniors? Now, you can bring those
ideas to life. “The People’s Money” is
the first ever citywide participatory
budgeting process run by our Civic The projects have been carefully selected from hundreds of proposals that were brainstormed by New Yorkers
Engagement Commission (CEC), in workshops across all five boroughs earlier this year
and from today until June 25th, all
New York City residents ages 11 and
older - regardless of immigration sta- tion sessions across the city in which gram in Manhattan; workplace skills Most projects can be implement-
tus - can vote on how to spend $5 mil- 12,344 New Yorkers participated. If training for adults with autism in the ed in a year. So, you don’t have to wait
lion dollars of our city’s budget. you have ideas that you would like to Bronx; an intergenerational mento- endlessly to see the results. The win-
To do so, go to our website: suggest, please consider participating ring program in Brooklyn; a young ners will be announced by July and
on.nyc.gov/pb and vote on projects in this phase of the process next year. entrepreneur’s program in Queens; the CEC will work closely with the
that your fellow New Yorkers have Participatory budgeting gives you and a women and young girls health organizations to make sure that all
proposed. a direct say in the future of your com- center on Staten Island. projects are completed successfully.
You can vote on projects for your munity. You decide how our money Proposals in the equity neighbor- You may have voted on Partic-
borough, and the residents of 33 eq- is spent. Participatory Budgeting hoods include: teaching Bed-Study ipatory Budgeting projects through
uity neighborhoods can vote on one strengthens our democracy and deep- history in Bedford Stuyvesant; cod- your City Council Member, but “The
additional project that will be funded ens civic engagement. I championed ing 101 for BIPOC youth in Fordham People’s Money” is the first citywide
in their neighborhood. the program as Brooklyn Borough Heights and University Heights; food process, and it uses mayoral funds.
The projects have been carefully President, and as mayor, I have made access support on the Lower East Don’t miss this opportunity to
selected from hundreds of propos- it even bigger, giving New Yorkers Side and in Chinatown; multilingual vote on how to spend $5 million of
als that were brainstormed by New more money to invest directly in their job fairs in Corona; and outreach to your money.
Yorkers in workshops across all five communities. unhoused people with disabilities
boroughs earlier this year. In fact, the Some of this year’s proposals in- in St. George, Stapleton, Port Rich- Eric Adams is
CEC facilitated 523 Idea Genera- clude: a youth multicultural arts pro- mond and Tompkinsville. the Mayor of New York City, NY

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