Halloran Announces Participatory Budgeting Winners In His District

Councilman Dan Halloran, R-Whitestone, said that an art room renovation at a local school and additional police cameras are among the projects that won last week’s participatory budgeting vote in his district.

Last week, northeast Queens residents voted on how to spend $1 million of the city’s budget following the introduction of a new process known as participatory budgeting.

Residents in both Halloran and Councilman Mark Weprin’s, D-Oakland Gardens, districts voted for five projects that they wanted to receive money through capital discretionary funding.

In Halloran’s district, the winning projects were the restoration of P.S. 98’s art room, additional police cameras, the structural restoration of the Poppenhusen Institute, the rehabilitation of MacNeil Park, kayak and canoe launches, special needs playground equipment and SMART boards at Bell Academy, P.S. 32, P.S. 129, P.S. 130, P.S. 159, P.S. 184 and P.S. 193.

“I thank my hard-working staff and all the constituents who put so much time and effort into this process over the past several months,” Halloran said. “We all learned a great deal. I especially congratulate the winners and encourage even more participation next year in every district.”

The winners in Weprin’s district have not yet been announced. Projects for which residents could vote in that district included upgrades to the Hollis Library, Queens High School of Teaching, P.S. 266, P.S. 135, P.S. 33, M.S. 74, Martin Van Buren High School, the Union Turnpike traffic median curb reconstruction, portable security cameras throughout the district, Cunningham Park’s picnic area and elevated platform, Glen Oaks Volunteer Community Ambulance Corps and the Queens County Farm Museum.

Last fall, the councilmen held a series of public meetings during which residents offered ideas on how to spend the $1 million. Then, community members who volunteered as budget delegates worked in committees to turn the projects into proposals that were vetted by city agencies.

The budgeting process was developed in Brazil and first implemented in the United States in Chicago. Eight city districts are currently taking part in the process.