By Karen Frantz
Some residents who live in Hollis Hills, Fresh Meadows, Oakland Gardens and other neighborhoods in City Council District 23 will soon have the chance to vote on how to spend $1 million in the community through a process called participatory budgeting. City Councilman Mark Weprin (D-Oakland Gardens) has allocated the money from his discretionary budget for the process, and residents have been developing the proposals that will be voted on since last fall.
Proposals include upgrading the customer service technology at the Hollis Library to include self-checkout equipment, reconstruction of the Union Turnpike traffic median curb and providing a new roof, exterior wall shingles and five windows for an historic farmhouse.
Voting will take place from April 1 to April 7 at nine locations around the district, including Weprin’s district office, the Fresh Meadows Library and the Bayside Senior Center. Anyone 16 or older who lives in District 23 may take part.
“Participatory budgeting gives the community an unprecedented opportunity to make decisions on how city dollars get spent in our community,” Weprin said. “Don’t forget to vote!”
