In 2018, New Yorkers voted decisively to establish a Civic Engagement Commission in order to have a greater say in policy making. As the Commission begins its work, it will focus on three core areas:
• IMPLEMENT PARTICIPATORY BUDGETING (PB) CITYWIDE TO GIVE NEW YORKERS A SAY IN HOW CITY DOLLARS ARE SPENT
By 2020, New York City will ensure a citywide process is in place to facilitate participatory budgeting in every neighborhood — a process in which residents vote on improvement projects in their communities to fund with City capital dollars. Citywide PB builds on a program launched by the New York City Council in 2012, through which New Yorkers have directed $210 million to more
than 700 local projects. In 2018 alone, nearly 100,000 residents in 34 of New York City’s 51 Council Districts voted to allocate more than $36 million to more than 120 projects at schools, parks, libraries, public housing, and other public spaces in their communities. Their votes count regardless of citizenship status or age. The total dollars set aside for PB — and the number of local projects that will benefit from it — will grow in the years ahead.
• PROVIDE LANGUAGE INTERPRETERS AT POLL SITES
The U.S. Voting Rights Act requires the New York City Board of Elections to offer interpretation services for languages (Spanish, Mandarin, Cantonese, Korean, and Bengali) at poll sites. Still, we need to do more in a city as diverse as New York. Beginning in 2017, the City has operated a pilot project to place interpreters at poll sites to provide assistance in other languages beyond those
covered by the Voting Rights Act — including Russian, Haitian Creole, Yiddish, Polish, Italian, and Arabic in the past two years.
The Civic Engagement Commission will formalize a program for providing language interpreters at poll sites to help eligible voters understand the issues, regardless of their English proficiency.
• DEVELOP A CITYWIDE COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT STRATEGY TO FOSTER GREATER COMMUNITY PARTICIPATION
At any given time, dozens of City and community organizations — including community boards, City agencies, and community based organizations — engage with the public to gather input and distribute information at hundreds of locations across the five boroughs and online. Community spaces such as libraries, community centers, and health centers serve more people in more ways than ever before — and many are places where New Yorkers go for trusted information and access to public services.
The Civic Engagement Commission will assess the current landscape of civic activity to identify best practices and resource gaps, and opportunities for partnerships, and then develop a citywide strategy to enhance and expand its efforts. It will also establish a process to provide assistance and training to community boards related to land use expertise and language interpretation, to ensure all communities have access to resources to support local review.
November 1st, 2021 at 4:50 pm
Encouraging New Yorkers to participate in the voting process is a step in the right direction
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