Upper East Side Participatory Budgeting: When/How To Vote, List Of Projects

UPPER EAST SIDE, NY — It's almost time to vote on participatory budgeting projects for 2017. What is "participatory budgeting" you ask? Well, it's not as boring as it's name makes it sound.

Starting Saturday, March 25, residents of City Council District 5 — which spans the Upper East Side — will be allowed to vote on how the government should spend $1 million on various community projects. That's right: the tax money is in your hands now.

This year Council District 5 residents can vote on 11 different projects which address community needs such as housing and school improvements, irrigation for the East River Esplanade and installing clocks for bus routes.

Heres a full list of projects:

1. JREC auditorium renovation, $750,000;
2. P.S. 183 green science and STEM lab classroom, $600,000;
3. Eleanor Roosevelt H.S. auditorium renovation, $750,000;
4. P.S. 198/77 playground renovation, $500,000;
5. P.S. 77 music room renovation, $500,000;
6. Lexington Houses layered access, $500,000;
7. Lexington west playground renovation, $500,000;
8. Stanley Isaacs layered access, $500,000;
9. Security cameras for Holmes Towers, $500,000;
10. Irrigate the East River Esplanade, $1 million;
11. Bus clocks for northbound M15 and M31, $350,000.

Upper East Siders can download participatory budgeting ballots here and submit their completed ballots at City Councilman Ben Kallos' district office between March 25 and April 2. The office is located at 244 East 93rd Street between Second and Third avenues.

Ballots can also be dropped off at mobile sites set up by Kallos' office during the voting weeks, according to a spokesman from the councilman's office.

To check out the information in map form click here.

Watch the video below to learn more about how participatory budgeting works:

Screenshot courtesy of NY City Council