Queens Development News

Queens Parks Committee Discusses FY28 Budget Priorities and Process

The Queens Parks Committee held a meeting to discuss the fiscal year 2028 budget priority guide for members. The committee needs to submit two lists: one for capital projects and one for expense items. Committee members are tasked with conducting outreach to their communities and organizations over the summer to gather priorities. The process involves several steps, including review by the CB Budget Committee, integration into a single list, response from city agencies, compilation by the Mayor's office, and finalization through the Mayor's office and City Council. The distinction between capital budget (large, long-lasting physical improvements, funded by municipal bonds, generally costing at least $35,000 with a useful life of 5 years) and expense budget (daily operational costs like salaries, programs, and maintenance, funded by tax revenues) was clarified. The committee will assign numeric values to submitted items to create a prioritized list for the budget committee. Last year's lists and city agency responses were provided as examples. The discussion also touched upon specific issues such as the need for a dog run, ongoing flooding at Widy Ford Field, and potential DDC involvement, as well as the DOT greenway project along the waterfront affecting 26th Avenue and access to Shore Boulevard. A clarification was requested regarding the attached Excel file, with assurances that the correct file would be resent.