Since 2011, we’ve worked with New York City Council Members, communities, and partner organizations to build a Participatory Budgeting process that now spans 9 of the City’s 51 council districts. This January the City will undergo a major transition as new officials take office across city government, and this change presents big opportunities to strengthen and expand the PBNYC process. 21 members of the new City Council have already pledged to participate in PBNYC, and Mayor-elect Bill de Blasio has committed to “scale up participatory budgeting in council districts across New York City [and] pilot expanding participatory budgeting to broader pools of city grant funding.”

We’re excited by the possibilities and have collaborated with our partner organizations, Community Voices Heard and the Community Development Project at the Urban Justice Center, to outline what the next New York City Mayor, City Council,  Speaker, Comptroller and Public Advocate can do to support and scale up Participatory Budgeting. Read our recommendations in this new memo.