West Village Budget: Help Choose How $1 Million Gets Spent

WEST VILLAGE, NY — It has been less than a week since Erik Bottcher took office in the City Council seat covering much of Manhattan's West Side. Already, the new member has made one big announcement: participatory budgeting is back.

The popular program allows constituents to nominate and vote on projects within their Council district that they want the city to fund. Former member and Speaker Corey Johnson ran the program for multiple years in District 3, but it went on hiatus last year during the pandemic.

This spring, Bottcher is making $1 million available to residents of his district, which includes the West Village, Hell's Kitchen and Chelsea. To submit an idea, visit the City Council's participatory budgeting page, click "idea submission" and "new proposal," and then create an NYC.ID account to share your idea.

The 14 ideas already submitted as of Wednesday included planting street trees, removing graffiti and completing a long-delayed construction project at P.S. 11 in Chelsea.

Since Johnson first rolled out participatory budgeting in 2015, its impacts have included helping spur the creation of Chelsea Green, which became Chelsea's first new park in 40 years when it opened in 2019. The opening came four years after Johnson's office funded the project in its first-ever budgeting round.

Other District 3 projects previously chosen for funding included $125,000 for real-time arrival information at five bus stops, $200,000 for street tree protectors like tree guards and care tags, and $150,000 to install air conditioning at the P.S. 111 library.

"I believe that government should be inclusive, collaborative and accessible," Botcher said in an email Tuesday announcing the program. "I can’t wait to see your great ideas for projects throughout our community!"

Those who want to submit an idea but don't want to create an NYC.ID account can do so on the Council website. Bottcher's office is also seeking volunteers to help with the budgeting process, who can sign up here.