QCH Partners with Queens Borough President Richards for Borough-Wide Participatory Budgeting Session

On November 10, QCH partnered with Queens Borough President Donovan Richards and the NYC Civic Engagement Commission (CEC) to host an Idea Generation Session at Queens Borough Hall for NYC’s first-ever participatory budgeting process. Also known as “The People’s Money”, this process allows New Yorkers age 11 and up to have a voice in deciding how to spend $5 million of mayoral expense funding. The borough-wide session at Queens Borough Hall was the last of our recent series of Idea Generation Sessions that we’ve been hosting the past two months as the Queens borough anchor for the CEC’s campaign.

During the sessions, QCH participants and neighbors were invited to brainstorm ideas for creative projects that meet the needs of the borough. “This participatory democracy helps further QCH's mission of building healthy and inclusive communities across Queens,” said Thomases. “When ordinary community members have a direct say in how their tax money is spent, everyone benefits.”

Projects are developed into ballot proposals, which will be voted on by residents in each borough. Winning projects will then be implemented starting in July of 2023.

Some ideas we’ve heard from neighbors during our participatory budgeting sessions:

1. “We need free, accessible arts and music programs (either during the school day or after school) in Queens public schools.”
2. "We need to feel safe in the street at night. There are no street lights in my neighborhood."
3. “We need to improve access to physical and mental health services.”

Click here to view proposals that were submitted by Queens neighbors at our participatory budgeting sessions.