By Carol Tannenhauser
We got the word directly from Gale Brewer’s office (and newsletter). The 2024 Participatory Budgeting votes have been counted, and starting in July, these five projects will be funded:
- Security cameras for the Columbus Avenue and Broadway corridors, and other locations determined by the 20th and 24th precincts ($250,000)
- New trees and tree guards on Columbus and Amsterdam Avenues. ($50,000)
- Air conditioning/HVAC installation at Richard Rodgers School of Arts & Technology (PS166), 123 W. 89th St. ($250,000)
- Upgrade electrical wiring and capacity at Center School (MS243), 100 West 84th St.($150,000)
- Outdoor adult fitness equipment for Riverside Park. ($250,000)
Participatory Budgeting is an annual process “in which community members directly decide how to spend part of a public budget,” according to the City Council website. “The process began in Porto Alegre, Brazil in 1989. Today, there are more than 3,000 participatory budgeting processes around the world, most at the municipal level.”
I’m pleased to see that once again the community approved the security camera project. Does anyone know where last year’s cameras were installed?
Seems like a good mix. Good work everyone.
I agree! and special thanks to the West Side Rag and Gale Brewer’s office for keeping the community informed about the Participatory Budget process and providing links so people could cast their votes.
Absolutely bizarre that the money would be used to fund projects in schools, benefitting a couple hundred people.
Politics.
I believe the children are our future. Teach them well and let them lead the way. Show them all the beauty they possess inside.
Absolutely bizarre that the Department of Education doesn’t budget funds to make classrooms safe, comfortable, and functional for all schoolchildren, especially in the summer. But it doesn’t, so I am perfectly happy with the allocation of Participatory Budgeting money for school wiring and air conditioning.
Yeah, totally shocking that 250,000+ people in the neighborhood couldn’t muster enough votes to benefit every single one of the 250,000+ and “beat” the 200 to the grand prize.
Got other precious thoughts?
199 people if you voted
Going from 200 to 250,000 is lazy thinking. There are already monies connected to schools (DOE, SCA, etc.). These monies should not fund things that already get funding.
But you are missing the key point. School budgeting is a major issue and the items included in the participatory budgeting are often not included in a school’s budget. Many schools, particularly those that are under-enrolled, barely have enough funding to pay for specialist teachers, enrichment programs, etc. Plus, the SCA budget is not focused on air conditioners, etc. They are focused on new construction and construction required to repair crumbling schools.
If people are really interested in learning about school budgeting, you should reach out to the community educational council for district 3. they have an annual meeting dedicated to school budgeting and they may have the presentation they can share with your (or it may be posted on their website). It is eye-opening and not necessarily in a good way.
But that’s the issue. It doesn’t get funded.
Schools are crucially important!
They are, which is why they already get funding for this.
Actually no they don’t. Your hypothetical belief that they get funding for this has nothing to do what actually happens in the schools.
I disagree. Schools benefit the children, of course, but educated children benefit all of us. Moreover, providing adequate schools is a fundamental responsibility of government, and it is right to use government funding to achieve that goal. So, it seems great to me.
Great choices!
It’s telling that all the projects with broad community benefit won, while many of the school projects — which would ideally be funded by DOE — didn’t. Hopefully Gale puts forward more broad based projects next year. Enough with the school proposals that only benefit a few. I say this as a fierce advocate for education.
I’m not normally one to defend Gale but I believe that these are just the projects that are nominated – she is not “putting them forward.” The list is pretty good but it is sad that some of the less affluent schools and groups can’t organize and put forward projects. They need to learn to organize and stand up for themselves.
One other important thing to remember about public schools on the Upper West Side. Council Member Brewer’s council district does NOT completely encompass school District 3 and most of her district covers the “more affluent” public schools to the southern portion of the UWS. The northern portion of the UWS is covered by another council district and in the past, that council member/district did not participate in participatory budgeting.
Carlos – you are so right. There should be some consortium put together for the less organized (and more importantly, less financially stable) schools to put forth their “wish lists” of needed improvements. I have issues with school proposals as part of participatory budgeting, but it does need to be spread out more.
I somewhat agree. As I noted (and you agreed), it would be nice if more money was directed towards these schools. However, this program is very well advertised. It would be nice if the parents and/or staff of these schools took it upon themselves to make it happen. They shouldn’t need someone to do it for them.
A fierce advocate for education who thinks education benefits only those who are in the process of getting at this very moment. Amazing.
How many Social Security beneficiaries do you think are supported by one working-age person today? Staggering high and growing number. What do you think makes this possible (albeit increasingly difficult) – lack of education and low-wage/unskilled labor? How many people would you estimate are kept out of prison by education? Etc., etc.
“Ideally funded by DOE” doesn’t exist. We don’t live in a hypothetical world. We live in one where public funds, incl. the DOE, are deeply mismanaged (thank bad education for that!) – making school projects as as important as any other on the ballot.
How many people voted?
I bet $250,000 a camera covers 82 and Columbus where the cops park their personal cars.
the illegal double parking by the 20th precinct on columbus between 81-82 streets is out of control. double parking occurs on both sides of the street, leaving only one lane for all of the buses, trucks, and cars to travel. the west side rag should look into this and shine a light on the issue.