The Roosevelt Island Branch of the New York Public Library system tied for first in competitive voting for Participatory Budgeting dollars. The contest was sponsored by City Council Member Julie Menin who shared her budget authority with constituents.
by David Stone
The Roosevelt Island Daily News
City Council Member Julie Menin’s Press Release
“Council Member Julie Menin is proud to announce the results of her first annual participatory budgeting process within New York City Council District 5, which garnered a total of 1,838 votes and a tie for first between the top two projects.
“Council Member Menin had previously announced that projects with the most votes up until $1 million has been accounted for will be funded. As a result of this year’s success, Council Member Menin will be allocating additional capital funding in order to fully fund the top six voted projects totaling $1,380,000.
The winning projects are as follows:
Schoolyard Resurfacing for M.S. 114 and P.S. 138 – 798 votes; This $380,000 project will replace the slippery, degraded mats of the schoolyard that date back to the building’s construction over a decade ago. This will improve the overall safety and sanitary conditions for the students
Technology Upgrades at New York Public Libraries – 798 votes; This $250,000 project will provide technology enhancements at Roosevelt Island, Webster, and 67th Street Libraries.
Pathway Repavings– 747 votes; This $300,000 project will repave 10,000 square feet of paths in Carl Schurz Park.
“I am thrilled that our Office’s first annual participatory budgeting process was an unqualified success with robust community engagement,” said Council Member Julie Menin.
“Not only is my office providing the one million dollars to fund the three winning projects, but in response to the enormous success of this year’s cycle and the critical need for capital improvements, I am proud to raise my commitment to $1,380,000 to fund an additional 3.
“Hundreds of constituents have reached out to our office about these projects so it is great to foster civic engagement in the entire community and help these projects come to fruition. I look forward to growing participatory budgeting in future years!”
What is Participatory Budgeting?
New York City’s participatory budgeting process began in 2011 as a way to engage residents in the city’s budget process and allow them to have a say in how their tax dollars are spent. Since then, participatory budgeting has become an important part of the city’s budget process, with more than $1 billion allocated through the participatory budgeting process since its inception.
Participatory budgeting allows New Yorkers to directly decide how to spend a portion of the city’s capital budget. Each year, the city allocates a certain amount of money to be spent through the participatory budgeting process. This money is then divided among City Council Members who decide how to spend the money.
Residents of each district can participate in the decision-making process by attending meetings, voting on spending priorities, and submitting proposals for how the money should be spent. The participatory budgeting process has been used to fund a wide range of projects, including school renovations, new playgrounds, and energy-efficiency upgrades.
Participatory budgeting is a great way for New Yorkers to have a direct say in how their tax dollars are spent, and it has proven to be an effective way of engaging residents in the city’s budget process.
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The Line That Didn’t Land
I stood in the back of Good Shepherd Chapel on the evening of April 15, 2026, at the Steam Plant Demolition Town Hall, watching people adjust scarves and jackets before the meeting began. Benjamin Jones, President and CEO of RIOC, thanked us for attending and, without a pause, said he was “pleased to host tonight’s town hall on the city’s demolition of its steam plant.” The demolition, in other words, was not up for discussion.
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