Participatory Budgeting is once again under way in Councilman Andrew Cohen’s 11th Council District, which includes Norwood and Bedford Park, partially shifting a process that’s usually tasked by elected officials in a representative government and placing it into the hands of the electorate. The question posed to the public is simple: If you had $1 million to put towards physical improvements in your neighborhood, what would they be?

For the past six months, a handful of residents have bounced that question around, coming up with a list of projects that can benefit their communities. During the last week of March, residents will be asked to head to a local library to put down on paper what proposal they favor the most.

One of the positions this paper has taken over the last few years is that while the process is noble, it can be cumbersome to a constituency that can be too busy to physically show up to vote on a project. That sentiment is reflected in voter turnout for the September primaries within the Norwood area: only 20 percent of the population turned out to vote in the last mayoral election, according to figures by the New York City Campaign Finance Board. Participation requires residents to personally attend PB workshops to brainstorm capital projects that are doable and fall within PB’s constraints (a project must be valued at $35,000, have a more than five-year longevity, and be vetted by the appropriate city agency). These projects require capital money, taxpayer funds that can take upwards of five years to secure, thanks to the arcane New York City budget.

Councilman Cohen, whose office has embedded Participatory Budgeting in its civic fold ever since his being elected in 2013, has made it a less exclusive event this time out by allowing residents to cast their votes for a project or projects online. The online voting initiative is a move coming from Council Speaker Melissa Mark-Viverito, who deserves credit for understanding the time constraints working class families have when it comes to civic engagement.

From the comfort of your home, you can decide the fate of several proposals chosen during the initial phase of Participatory Budgeting. Proposals include:

• Accessible Bathrooms for Disabled Patrons
• $35,000 Tech Grants for Eight Schools in the District
• Gym Locker Renovations
• Installation of HVAC System and Wiring
• HVAC System and Wiring for PS 81
• Clay Tennis Court: Indian Field-Van Cortlandt Park
• Adult Fitness Equipment at Classic Playground
• Seton Park Mini Skate Park
• Decorative Street Lights Along Webster Avenue
• Cameras for the Police Precincts

From there, it’s a matter of log in to www.pbnyc.org/vote, typing in general information on who you are (anyone age 14 or over can vote), and simply choosing five projects you wholeheartedly believe are the most worthwhile. Results are released in July, ending a nine-month process aimed at demonstrating how projects are conceived from start to finish. Here’s hoping Council members consider the percentage of voters who voted on PB projects, rather than the number of voters. The number of voters living in one community can drastically outnumber the numbers in an adjacent neighborhood.

There is pure power in voting when it comes to shaping your neighborhood. You are, after all, making an investment in the people around you. Complaints run rampant that participating within the confines of a bureaucratic system can be a long, drawn out process. The traditional way can work for some. The alternate way can work for a lot more people.

A listing of voting sites can be found at http://bit.ly/2nMOZWM.