District 14 City Council Member Pierina Sanchez announced a million-dollar investment in various quality-of-life improvements going to schools, libraries, and senior centers in the district on June 20. The funding came by way of New York City Council’s participatory budgeting (PB) process which, according to New York City Council, is a democratic process in which community members directly decide how to spend part of a public budget.

 

According to the council, the concept originated in Porto Alegre, Brazil in 1989. Today, there are more than 3,000 participatory budgeting processes around the world, most at the municipal level. PB was launched in New York City in 2011 and is a voluntary process in which council members can decide whether to opt in or out.

 

This year, according to the council, 29 council members across New York City asked residents how to spend nearly $30 million in capital funding, specifically for local improvements to schools, parks, libraries and other public spaces. PB NYC funds physical infrastructure projects that benefit the public, cost at least $50,000, and have a lifespan of at least 5 years.

 

It’s the second consecutive year that $1 million goes to District 14 as part of the PB process, which included allowing constituents the opportunity to both pitch and vote on which projects to fund. Sanchez told Norwood News on June 20, “We had a thousand people vote this year, 800 last year, which is pretty high, especially when you look across the city and engagement and so, it’s just really telling to me when we put out the word for the community and the community decides to invest in schools, invest in our senior centers, invests in our [inaudible], it just speaks volumes about what the community cares about and it gives me guidance about what to prioritize and what to fight for.”

 

When we mentioned that $1 million seemed like a substantial amount of money for the community to decide how to spend, Sanchez, who, as reported, is the presumed winner of the June 2023 Democratic Primary in District 14, following a challenge by the State committeewoman for assembly district 78, Rachel Bradshaw, said each council member can decide on the allotted funding amount in the context of the PB process.

 

“These one million dollars are going to have a transformative impact on our community, not just because we’re fixing things up and making things better physically, but because we did it together,” said the council member who first won her seat in 2021. “That’s what participatory budgeting is about – sharing and empowering.”

The funding has been distributed across several different projects. The largest amount went to M.S. 390, where Sanchez made the announcement, amid cheers from the students and staff in attendance. The school received $750,000 to carry out upgrades to its gym. New flooring, basketball hoops, and equipment is also covered.

 

Sanchez said, “This will provide our young people with an excellent modern space to nurture their physical and mental well-being.” Meanwhile, M.S. 390 School Principal Andrea Varona, said, “It’s life-changing for our students. It’s a moment of joy, and now we can say we are going to have a gym well-equipped for our students, which is rewarding and exciting.”

 

The second largest portion of the PB funding went to The Francis Martin Library, which received $64,470 to fund technology upgrades and create a mini STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) lab.

 

According to Melody Ramos, a library assistant at the library, Makerspace Mondays is one of the library’s more popular programs. Through Makerspace Mondays, she said kids get access to a 3D printer. However, she said the project had only been temporary due to a lack of funding.

With the funding the library has now been awarded from the participatory budgeting process, it will be able to buy a 3D printer along with other computers. “The community showed up for us,” said Ramos. “They put our names in the game and that’s why we’re here right now.”

 

In addition, the BronxWorks Senior Center was awarded $50,000 which will go towards renovations of the cafeteria. “This will ensure that our seniors have a comfortable and welcoming space to enjoy their meals and engage with their peers,” said Sanchez.

 

A new media center will also be established at P.S. 206, with $51,234 going towards the project, helping the school’s computer science, coding, and app design programs. “This investment will empower our youth in the neighborhood with the tools and resources that they need to thrive in the digital age,” said Sanchez.

University Woods Park will also be receiving a portion of the budget, with $55,000 going towards a tree planting project at the park.

 

District 14 broadly encompasses some or all of the neighborhoods of Kingsbridge Heights, Fordham Manor, Fordham Heights, Bedford Park, University Heights, Mt. Hope and Morris Heights.

 

*Síle Moloney contributed to this story.