You decide how to spend millions of dollars from the city budget!

Scaling up Participatory Budgeting as a Tool for Direct Democracy in NYC

Agenda

Get to know our neighbors

Learn about the City budget process, participatory budgeting, and our city

Identify capital and expense project ideas for our city

Gain knowledge about ideas for how Participatory Budgeting could scale up in NYC under a new administration

Assembly Goals

1. Welcome and Icebreaker

2. Introduction to the City Budget & Participatory Budgeting (Including a video!)

3. Questions & Answers

4. Breakout groups to brainstorm project ideas

5. Report-backs

6. Participatory Budgeting Expansion: What It’ll Take & What It Can Be

Assembly Agenda

City Budget runs on a Fiscal Year from July 1st to June 30th

This year’s budget was$70 Billion in Expense

$10 Billion in Capital

Generally the Mayor issues a budget and the Council approves it

City Budget Basics

Mandatory Spending = > 80% money that has to be spent in a particular way

(e.g. committed contracts, entitlement programs, debt service, etc.)

Discretionary Spending = ~ 10%money that can be spent however decided

on a yearly basis based on need/ interest

Mandatory and Discretionary Spending

Capital and Expense Budgets

There are two different City budgets…

A A democratic process democratic process in which in which community members community members directly decide directly decide how to spend how to spend part of a part of a public budgetpublic budget

What is Participatory Budgeting?

Participatory Budgeting Video

CD8: Melissa Mark-Viverito (D)CD8: Melissa Mark-Viverito (D)

CD33: Stephen Levin (D)CD33: Stephen Levin (D)

CD23: Mark Weprin (D)CD23: Mark Weprin (D)CD39: Brad Lander (D)CD39: Brad Lander (D)

CD45: Jumaane D. Williams (D)CD45: Jumaane D. Williams (D)

CD44: David Greenfield (D)CD44: David Greenfield (D)

CD32: Eric Ulrich (R)CD32: Eric Ulrich (R)

$12 million reaching

1.5 million residents

$12 million reaching

1.5 million residents

This Cycle PBNYC Districts

CD38: Carlos Menchaca (D)CD38: Carlos Menchaca (D)

CD31: Donovan Richards (D)

CD31: Donovan Richards (D)

4. Community Vote(Mar-Apr)

vote on projects

3. Project Expos(Mar)

share proposals and get community feedback

2. Delegate Meetings

(Nov-Mar) develop proposals

5. Implementation & Monitoring

of projects

How does PB work in NYC?

1. Open Up Government

2. Expand Civic Engagement

3. Develop New Community Leaders

4. Build Community

5. Make Public Spending More Equitable

Why PB in NYC?

Our Goals:

14,000 people participated in the 8 districts

1,600 residents identified 1,700 project ideas

275+ budget delegates developed 122 full project proposals

13,000 voters chose 45 winning projects totaling $10 million

Last Cycle PBNYC Outcomes

New Change Agents 50% of people had not previously

worked for community change

Diverse Constituency 60% women 38% people of color 25% born outside of the US

Higher rates than regular elections Among low-income people and POC

Who Participated?

WHAT WOULD YOUDO WITH $100 MILLION DOLLARS?

Demonstration Exercise

Eligible projects must cost:

CAPITAL EXAMPLES

Building a library branch Building a community center Renovating a school Revamping a park

EXPENSE EXAMPLES

Subsidized childcare slots More teachers Job Corps slots After school programs

$35,000 $100 million

Sample Discretionary Projects

• Playground Improvements $250,000• Laptops for 8 schools

$450,000• Solar-powered greenhouse

$300,000• Park Enhancement

$350,000• Dog Run

$450,000• 10 Jobs Corps Position

$250,000• 10 Childcare Subsidies

$150,000

Some Sample Costs of Items

• Introductions• Review City Map & Ground Rules• Idea Brainstorm• Rank Top 3 Ideas• Prepare for Report Back

Small Group Discussion Agenda

• Let’s hear some ideas that came up!

• What would happen next?– People would volunteer to be delegates– Budget delegates would meet in committees– Projects would be put on a ballot– The public would vote– Top projects would become part of the city budget

Large Group Report Back & Next Steps

• Support to Expand Current Process– Get more Council Members to participate!

• Nine (9) this cycle• Twelve (12) more committed after recent elections• That’s twenty-one (21) of fifty-one (51)

– Create Centralized Support Office in Council– Provide Council Matching Funds for District Processes– Allocate funds to be used for expense projects

Ideas for the next Speaker

• Expand beyond the current process– Provide support for PB processes in Council– Connect PB in Council with Additional NYC Budget Funds– Pilot PB in a City Agency (NYCHA/ DYCD)

• Consider PB one tool to engage residents– Create Citizen Assemblies to decide few key issues– Create Office of Civic Engagement/ Community Democracy

Ideas for the next Mayor

• Take a minute • Think about your own vision• Write down your thoughts• Share with a neighbor• Bring it back for a wrap up

Where do you see PB in NYC?

Ways to Get Involved!

Get involvedo Participate in or support a process

o Advocate for a new one to start

Help spread the word Keep informed through our list-serves Visit www.pbnyc.org!