Sunset Park renovation wins participatory budget vote
More than 6,300 cast ballots in 38th Council District
When Councilmember Carlos Menchaca gave residents in his Sunset Park-Red Hook district the chance to decide how they wanted to divide up $2 million in city budget funds for neighborhood improvement projects, they came out in droves to vote for their favorite projects.
Menchaca announced the five projects that received the highest number of votes in the 2016 participatory budgeting process, an initiative that allows councilmembers to set aside a portion of their discretionary budgets to allow everyday citizens a say in how the money will be spent on capital projects in their communities.
“We are proud to announce that our district collected over 6,300 votes, claiming the highest citywide participation rates for the third consecutive year,” Menchaca said in a statement.
Menchaca, a Democrat who represents the 38th Council District (CD), has his district take part in participatory budgeting every year.