Northeast Queens residents are invited to vote on which community projects deserve over $1 million in funding this year.
Starting next week, Bayside, Whitestone, College Point, Douglaston and Flushing residents in Council District 19 can vote for up to five projects out of a pool of 20 as part of this year’s round of participatory budgeting. All residents aged 14 and over are eligible to vote.
Items on the ballot include technology upgrades at Poppenhusen Library in College Point, an engineering and robotics lab at P.S. 94 in Little Neck, and an adult fitness center at Little Bay Park. NYPD security cameras and real-time passenger countdown clocks for the Q12 and 13 bus routes are also on the ballot.
Voting will be open from April 7-15. Polling sites include P.S. 41, 79, 94, and 193, Poppenhusen Library and Councilman Paul Vallone’s office. Residents can also vote online.
“Excitement is building as we prepare to kick off our fourth participatory budgeting voting cycle,” Vallone said. “Participatory budgeting is a great way to get the pulse of the community and see what everyone believes city dollars and resources should be spent on. Last year’s incredibly successful cycle, which once again garnered the most votes of any Council district in Queens, shows the power and importance of this grassroots fueled process. I look forward to announcing this year’s winners.”
Last year’s winning ballot items were an electrical upgrade project at Bayside’s P.S. 41; a locker installation project at Bayside High School; a technology upgrade at Whitestone Library; and four new NYPD security cameras installed in areas throughout the district. For the second year in a row, District 19 residents cast the most votes (6,214) in all of Queens.
Take a full look at this year’s ballot and voting locations below.
Residents with questions about participatory budgeting can reach out to Vallone’s office by phone at 718-619-8611 or by email at district19[at]council.nyc.gov.
