Participatory Budgeting Steering Committee Meeting - June 3, 2026

The first meeting of the City of New Rochelle's newly established Participatory Budgeting (PB) Steering Committee was held on June 3, 2026, at 7:00 p.m. in the B1 Conference Room at City Hall. The committee focused on introductions, reviewing the enabling legislation, understanding the PB process and timeline, and beginning development of the PB Rulebook for the pilot year. The pilot year will concentrate on city-owned property around New Rochelle High School, including Huguenot Park, Twin Lakes, and adjacent rights-of-way, with a capital allocation of $200,000 and an additional $20,000 for program administration.

Discussion Items

• Introductions: Committee members introduced themselves. The Chair, Alika Ampri Samuel, highlighted her excitement and personal connection to the high school. Councilmember Matt Stern noted he sponsored the enabling legislation and praised PB for creating a "civic on-ramp." Deputy City Manager Todd Castaldo introduced himself as the staff liaison.
• Committee Organization: Castaldo reviewed City Council Resolution No. 2026-7, which established the 10-member committee composed of seven voting members (one adult from each council district and one youth aged 14–18 selected by the Mayor) and three non-voting ex officio members (one council member, one city staff member, one school district representative). The committee serves in an advisory capacity only; final funding decisions remain with the City Council. Meetings will be recorded and agendas posted in the interest of transparency, even though the committee is not subject to open meetings law.
• Review of PB Process and Purpose: Stern presented an overview of PB, showing a video and slides. He described the process as a way for residents to submit ideas, have them vetted by staff and the committee, and vote on final proposals. He noted that New Rochelle is the first municipality in Westchester County to adopt formal PB. The 2026 timeline includes idea collection through August, project vetting in September, public voting in October, and City Council approval of winning projects in November.
• Rulebook Discussion: Castaldo presented a draft Rulebook based on models from Boston and Durham. The committee discussed several sections in detail:
  • Idea Collection Requirements: Members debated what information should be required from submitters. It was agreed that name, address (or zip code), and an optional phone number and email would be collected. A question about whether the submitter is a New Rochelle resident or a full-time employee of the high school will be added. Optional demographic questions (age, race/ethnicity) were proposed to evaluate outreach equity.
  • Project Eligibility: The committee clarified that the project location description should be detailed, and the question "Is this project on public property?" will be removed to avoid deterring submissions. Ineligible projects include those requiring ongoing staffing or that are programmatic/events.
  • Funding Parameters: Ongoing operational costs of projects (e.g., water for a splash pad) will be considered during feasibility review, led by city engineer Gino Frabasile.
  • Voting Procedures: The committee discussed voting methods. It was suggested that, for this first pilot, voters be allowed to select up to three projects (rather than ranked-choice voting) to keep the process simple. Residency verification will rely on self-affirmation; fraud prevention measures (e.g., IP tracking) may be used.
  • Phases: The refinement of proposals into formal ballot language will be a joint effort between the steering committee and city staff. The timeline notes that future years may start earlier in spring to better engage students.
• Outreach and Engagement: Castaldo reported that 4,000–4,500 postcards (English/Spanish) have been printed and are being distributed at schools, businesses, and upcoming city events (Summer Sizzle concert series, Pride Day, Goat Fest). QR codes will be displayed on large screens. The committee discussed setting up voting tables at high-traffic locations (train station, grocery stores, places of worship) with volunteer shifts from committee members.

Key Outcomes

• The committee provided extensive feedback on the draft Rulebook. Deputy City Manager Castaldo will compile all suggested changes and present a revised version for final approval at the next meeting.
• The next meeting is scheduled for Tuesday, June 30, 2026, at a location to be announced (likely the Council Conference Room or the same B1 Conference Room).
• No formal votes were taken; the committee operates in an advisory capacity.
• The idea collection period is currently open and will continue through August 2026.