You can influence what happens in your neighborhood.
Apply for membership on your community board by February 25th.
What Community Boards Do
The Community Board is the voice of the people who live or work in the neighborhoods included in the board's district. Its job is to address their concerns. A portion of each board meeting is set aside for people to bring up issues affecting their neighborhood.
The Community Board advocates for such issues as how land will be used, proposed changes in zoning, the city budget, and the delivery and quality of city services to the neighborhood. The board serves as the liaison between residents and city agencies, such as the Sanitation and Transportation departments.
Each board member serves on committees. Not every board has the same committees. Depending on which district you live in, the committees could include Transportation, Youth Services, Community Environment, Human Services, Public Safety, Buildings and Construction, Health and Mental Health, Parks, Housing, Legislation, and Education, Libraries and Cultural Affairs.
Community boards meet once a month, except in July and August.
Who Can Be on a Community Board
Each community board has fifty members. Its members are chosen by the borough president from among people who are active and involved in the community. Board members have to live in New York City and have to live, work, or have a professional or other significant interest in the district. Board membership is a volunteer position.
Of the fifty members appointed to each board by the Borough President, half are appointed through a recommendation by the local City Councilmember. Tell your City Councilmember that you're interested in being a board member. A list of City Councilmembers and links to their websites are at http://council.nyc.gov/html/members/members.shtml.
Call the Borough President’s office at (718) 802-3700 to request a membership application. Or download and fill out the application. Instructions and details are posted here.
How to Find Your Community Board lists the neighborhoods included in each board's district, the board's address, phone number, fax number, and e-mail address, the names of the chairperson and the district manager, the day of the month of the board meeting and the cabinet meeting, the local police precinct's phone number, and contact information for the Borough President's liaisons to the boards.