Nearly 130K Vote on Local Participatory Projects

New York City Council Speaker Julie Menin and council members on May 22 announced the winning proposals for the city’s Fiscal Year 2027 participatory budgeting cycle after nearly 130,000 New Yorkers cast ballots. The vote directed almost $25 million in capital funding to local projects in schools, parks, libraries and other public spaces across 22 council districts. The council said voting ran from April 11 through April 19 and produced the highest turnout since the program began in 2011. The results were posted on the council’s participatory budgeting site, which lists winning projects by district. ### How many people voted, and what were they deciding? The New York City Council said nearly 130,000 residents voted on how to spend almost $25 million in capital funds during the FY2027 cycle. The money is set aside for physical improvements that can be built or installed, rather than for ongoing operating costs. The April 11-19 vote covered projects proposed in 22 participating council districts. According to the council, residents voted on improvements tied to neighborhood schools, parks, libraries and other public spaces. The council has run participatory budgeting since 2011. The FY2027 cycle was its 15th round, and the council said it drew the most votes in the program’s history. ### Which kinds of projects won? The council’s results page shows winning projects centered on school upgrades, park work, library improvements, accessibility changes and public-safety infrastructure. District-level ballots included items such as auditorium and cafeteria air conditioning, playground and park renovations, library accessibility work, bathroom upgrades, lighting and security cameras. Council Member Shahana Hanif’s District 39 ballot in Brooklyn, for example, included capital winners such as accessible paths in Prospect Park, air conditioning for a school cafeteria and gym, and accessibility work at Pacific Library, according to her office’s participatory budgeting page. Patch also reported district-level winners that included school and park projects in neighborhoods such as the Upper East Side. The structure is local by design. Participating council members typically allocate up to about $1 million or more from their discretionary capital funds for residents to choose among eligible projects in their districts, according to council materials and district pages. ### Who gets to vote in this process? The City Council said New Yorkers age 11 and older could vote in participatory budgeting. Council materials for the 2026 vote week said residents could cast ballots online or at in-person voting sites. District pages for participating members said eligibility was broader than standard municipal elections. In District 39, for example, Hanif’s office said people could vote if they lived, worked or had a special connection to the district, regardless of citizenship status. That structure has been a defining feature of the program for years. The council presents participatory budgeting as a way for residents who may not be eligible to vote in city elections to still help decide how some public capital money is spent. ### Why does the dollar amount differ from last year? The New York City Council said the FY2027 cycle allocated almost $25 million across 22 districts. In the prior FY2026 cycle, the council said more than 93,000 New Yorkers voted to allocate $30 million across 24 districts. The lower total for FY2027 reflects fewer participating districts and different district-level allocations, based on council announcements for the two cycles. The council did not describe the change as a policy shift in the May 22 release. The district count can vary from year to year because participation depends on individual council members opting into the process. The council’s participating-members page lists the districts that joined the FY2027 round. ### Where can residents see the winners in their neighborhoods? The New York City Council posts district-by-district results on its participatory budgeting website. The page allows residents to select a cycle and review winning proposals for each participating district. Patch and council member offices have also published local breakdowns in some neighborhoods, including district-specific totals and project lists. Those local postings show the kinds of projects residents backed, but the council’s results page is the central public record for the citywide cycle. In June, the council says the winning projects will be included in the upcoming fiscal year budget, after which city agencies will oversee implementation.