The Participatory Budgeting Project, a non-profit organization dedicated to implementing participatory budgeting in cities across the world, has sent an e-mail to thousands of New Yorkers asking them to vote on upcoming neighborhood projects.
The message, entitled "Decide How to Spend $1 Million," asks city residents to visit voting sites between April 11-19 and select projects for completion, Reuters reports. Participatory budgeting is an experiment in direct, grassroots democratic decision-making that allows neighborhood locals to decide how tax money should be spent.
"It's a great way to get the pulse of the community on what everyone believes city dollars and resources should be spent," said New York City 19th District Councilman Paul Vallone (D-Bayside), according to the site.
A total of 24 members of the New York City Council have adopted the participatory budgeting model for their respective communities, with many cities around the world implementing the same program. The program was initiated during the late 1980s in Brazil by populist municipal leaders.
In fiscal year 2014, a total of ten City Council districts participated in the Participatory Budgeting Project, which accounted for less than one percent of the city's $78.5 billion budget, Reuters also reports.
Click here for a complete list of voting sites in New York City.
