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 ideas for projects to improve city

Learn how Participatory Budgeting could scale up in NYC under a new administration

Assembly Goals

1.Welcome

2.Introduction to Participatory Budgeting & the City Budget (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

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

How does participatory budgeting work?

Residents brainstorm

ideas

Delegates develop

proposals

The top projects win

funding

Residents vote

Latin America

Europe

Asia

Africa

North America

Porto Alegre, Brazil

1,500+ PB processes in the world!

Cities,States,

Counties, Public housing,

Schools,Community organizations

Where has participatory budgeting worked?

Porto Alegre, Brazil

• 1.5 million residents

• Up to 50,000 PB participants decide as much as $200 million per year (20% of budget)

• Key impacts:• Doubled sanitation coverage• Doubled the number of students in schools • Expanded bus service to neglected areas

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

NYC City Budget Basics

Mandatory Spending = 80-90% 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 & Discretionary Spending

Capital and Expense Budgets

There are two different City budgets…

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

PBNYC Districts 2013-2014

CD31: Donovan Richards (D)

CD31: Donovan Richards (D)

CD38: Carlos Menchaca (D)CD38: Carlos Menchaca (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 Participation 60% women 38% people of color 25% born outside of the US Low-income people and people of color were better

represented than in typical elections

Who Participated?

WHAT WOULD YOUDO WITH $100 MILLION DOLLARS?

Demo 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 Projects

• Child Care 887 Head Start Spots• Education 159 New Teachers• Fire 9 Ladder Trucks• Homeless 272 Family Shelter Units• Sanitation 10 Days Res. Garbage Disposal • Seniors 1.3 Million Home-Delivered

Meals • Streets 65 Lane Miles Resurfacing• Jobs 437 Subsidized Transitional Jobs

What Does $10 Million Buy?

• 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 to

develop projects for the ballot– The public would vote– The top projects would be included in the city budget

Large Group Report Back & Next Steps

• Get more Council Members to participate!• 9 this cycle• 12 more committed in recent elections• That’s 21 of 51

• Create Central Support Office in Council• Provide Council Matching Funds for District

Processes• Allocate funds to be used for expense

projects

How the next Speaker can expand PB

• Provide support for PB processes in Council• Connect PB with Additional NYC Budget

Funds• Pilot PB in a City Agency (NYCHA/ DYCD)• Create Office of Civic Engagement/

Community Democracy

How the next Mayor can expand PB

• 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 involved

o Participate in or volunteer for PBNYC

o Advocate to bring PB to your community

Keep informedo www.pbnyc.org

o @PB_NYC

o Facebook.com/PBNewYorkCity

Help spread the word