This week, New Yorkers in certain districts get to decide how to spend at least $1 million in government funding. Voting began on Saturday and will continue through Sunday.

Every City Council member has access to discretionary funding. Those who choose to dispense it using participatory budgeting allow their residents to directly decide which projects in their districts get government funding. Hundreds of thousands of New Yorkers have voted in previous years.

Kalman Yeger’s 44th District is not taking part in participatory budgeting, but districts with Haredi communities with votes are 29, 33, 34, 35, 38, 39, and 40, which include parts of Kew Gardens, Williamsburg, Crown Heights, Boro Park, Kensington, and Flatbush.

For a full list of districts that are taking part this year, click here. Click here to find your district and vote online.

You can also vote in person. To see where voting sites are, go to your council member’s website or contact them by phone.

Any resident who is 11 years old or older can cast their vote in participatory budgeting, regardless of immigration status. From projects like schools, libraries, parks, transportation, safety and more, voters can choose which they consider most worthy of public dollars.

For example, in District 39, which includes parts of Boro Park and Kensington, residents can choose between planting 100 trees, buying 30 laptops for local public libraries, building a garden at Pacific Library, and more. Meanwhile, in District 38, which includes parts of Boro Park, options include planting 27 trees, purchasing Chromebooks at PS 939, and roadway resurfacing. Over in District 33, which includes South Williamsburg, items on the ballot include planting trees and building a dedicated water source for Bed-Stuy’s Spencer Street Community Garden.

Participatory budgeting takes place every year. Idea collection begins in September and October, proposals are developed for the rest of the fall, and residents get to vote in spring. The winning ideas are included in the following year’s budget. 

While it’s too late to submit an idea for this year’s participatory budgeting, you can submit one for next year using this website.

“Seeing the passion, creativity, and dedication of our community members in shaping their own neighborhoods through this democratic process has been truly inspiring and a labor of love,” said Council Member Jennifer Gutiérrez, a Democrat representing part of Williamsburg, in a press release. “Participatory budgeting has not only resulted in tangible improvements and investments in our communities, but has also fostered a sense of civic engagement and ownership that is invaluable for communities like mine.”

A recent edition of the The United Jewish Organizations of Williamsburg and North Brooklyn newsletter encouraged residents, in both Yiddish and English, to take part in participatory budgeting.

Participatory budgeting launched in New York City in 2011.