From ideas to ballots: Borough Assembly wrap-up
Borough Assemblies — the second phase of our participatory budgeting process,The People's Money — are now over. Over the past several weeks, Assembly Members across all five boroughs worked together to review resident-submitted ideas and determine which projects will move forward to the final ballot for their borough.
Across four sessions, each Borough Assembly moved through a structured process to narrow thousands of ideas into a final set of proposals:
- Session 1: Members met one another, learned about boroughwide needs through presentations from city agencies, and reviewed the eligible ideas for the first time.
- Session 2: Using community data tools and neighborhood needs assessments, Members applied the idea vetting rubric and made the difficult first cut, narrowing the pool by roughly half.
- Session 3: Members met with community partners to ask about neighborhood priorities and voted to advance a smaller group of top ideas.
- Session 4: Each remaining proposal was discussed in depth, with members weighing pros and cons before casting final votes to determine which projects would appear on their borough's ballot.
Through thoughtful discussion and collaborative decision-making, Assembly Members played a direct role in shaping which community-driven ideas will move one step closer to becoming reality. Their work ensures that the final ballots reflect real neighborhood needs and priorities across the city.
Check out this recap video from the Assemblies on our YouTube channel, and stay tuned to see which projects each Assembly selected ahead of the citywide vote beginning this May!
Civic Leader Spotlight: Somia El-Rowmeim of the Women's Empowerment Coalition of NYC
March is Women's History Month, and we're proud to highlight Somia El-Rowmeim — a Yemeni-American organizer, educator, and fierce advocate for women's empowerment and civic engagement across New York City — for this month's Civic Leader Spotlight.
Somia is the founder and CEO of the Women's Empowerment Coalition of NYC (WECNYC), a Project Implementation Partner bringing the Young Parent Support and Classes People's Money project to life in Brooklyn this year. She also serves as a member of the Language Assistance Advisory Committee — part of our Voter Language Assistance program — helping ensure that language access remains central to civic participation across the city.
Before founding WECNYC, Somia spent nine years at the Arab-American Association of New York, becoming the Director of Adult Education and Women's Empowerment Programs. During that time, she also founded the Union of Arab Women, New York City's first Arab women's political club — a member-led organization dedicated to leadership development and community support.
Her leadership continues to shape policy spaces as well. Somia was recently named by Mayor Mamdani to serve on a transition committee focused on Small Businesses & MWBEs, further reflecting her impact on community empowerment initiatives.
From organizing voter registration drives, town halls, and rallies to advocating against the Muslim Ban, defending domestic violence survivors, and standing in solidarity with communities impacted by war in Yemen, Somia has demonstrated what steadfast, community-rooted leadership looks like in practice. Her leadership has been recognized widely — she has been named in the Brooklyn Power 100 four consecutive years and was recognized by City & State for expanding women's diversity in New York.
Through her courage, persistence, and deep belief in collective power, Somia continues to expand access, opportunity, and representation for women across our city. We're grateful for her partnership and proud to celebrate her leadership this Women's History Month.
Data in action: The Whole Community Health Datathon
We are excited to share that the CEC will be partnering with the New York Institute of Technology for the Whole Community Health Datathon on March 27!
As part of NYC Open Data Week — taking place from March 22 to March 29 — students will analyze more than 9,000 ideas submitted by New Yorkers during Idea Generation for The People's Money. Their goal is to explore how community-driven investments can address the Social Determinants of Health across the five boroughs. Throughout the Datathon, students will transform raw data into accessible insights — creating data stories, interactive maps, and policy briefs that elevate community priorities and help inform public decision-making.
There will also be a conference on the 28th called NYC School of Data, where the CEC will participate in a panel to discuss the Datathon, continuing the conversation about how participatory data and community input can shape healthier, more equitable neighborhoods.
Last month, we kicked off this collaboration with a mixer that brought together students, civic leaders, and partners ahead of the Datathon, setting the stage for a weekend focused on data, equity, and impact.
Together, these events highlight what data-driven civic engagement can look like at its best: grounded in community voices and focused on building healthier, more equitable neighborhoods across New York City.
Watch our February Commissioners' Meeting
Missed last month's Commissioners' Meeting? You can watch it online!
During the February 19 meeting, CEC staff provided program updates to the Commissioners, sharing progress across key initiatives and upcoming milestones. We were also joined by Tascha Van Auken, Commissioner of the Mayor's Office of Mass Engagement, who presented an overview of the office's work and its efforts to strengthen outreach and engagement citywide.
Watch a recording of the meeting on our YouTube channel to stay up to date on the Commission's work and partnerships.
Bring participatory budgeting to your community!
Are you part of an LGBTQ+ or youth-focused organization looking to civically engage your community? We want to hear from you!
There are many ways to get involved, from putting up posters in your space to sharing information through your digital channels to expand awareness of the vote and help more New Yorkers understand how they can participate. Your organization can play a key role in connecting residents with the participatory budgeting process and amplifying the voices of New Yorkers in your neighborhood.
If your organization is interested in partnering with us to bring The People's Money to your community, reach out and let's collaborate! Together, we can make civic engagement accessible, fun, and meaningful for everyone.
Contact us at publicaffairs@civicengagement.nyc.gov to get started!
Know a creator who can help amplify The People's Money?
As we gear up for The People's Money citywide vote, we're looking for ways to reach more New Yorkers and get them excited to participate. One way we're doing this is by partnering with local influencers, content creators, or other prominent New York City voices who have strong followings and trusted connections in their communities.
We're especially interested in creators whose content focuses on everyday life — think food, culture, small businesses, local events, arts, fashion, humor, or city living — rather than just civic or policy topics. We want partners who reflect the diversity of communities across all five boroughs.
If you follow or know creators who could help us spread the word about the vote and inspire their audiences to get involved, we'd love your suggestions!
Email publicaffairs@civicengagement.nyc.gov or DM us on Instagram @nycccec with your recommendations by Wednesday, March 25 so we can review and identify potential collaborators. Your input will help make the campaign more engaging and inclusive for all New Yorkers, and you know your community best!
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