Councilman Robert Cornegy brainstorms with members of Masjid Khalifah

By definition,  the Muslim life demands active involvement in the decisions that shape our lives.  Shura baynakum - conducting the affairs of the people by mutual consultation - is politics.   Saturday, October 24,  Councilman Robert Cornegy's office met with the local Muslims at Masjid Khalifah to get our input on how $1 million should be spent in the 36th council district. 
This effort comes from the city council's Participatory Budgeting plan,  where elected city officials meet with voters to get input on budget matters. Participatory Budgeting empowers the voters to guide the elected officials in spending tax dollars where the voters see fit.  Community members brainstorm ideas.  Delegates from each community group develop proposals around their ideas.  Ideas are put to a public vote in the district.  The winning ideas get funded.  Each council member gets roughly 5 million dollars annually to spend in their districts (discretionary funds). These funds are either capital (infrastructure related) or expense (programs and services).

The suggestion from this focus group was for a capital project in the public park in P.S. 3 on Bedford and Jefferson.  We suggested that the park be lighted with halogen lamps due to the reports of nighttime sexual assaults in and around the park and green turf installed to allow more proper use of the facility. If approved by June 2016, our suggestion will be funded in the budget for NYC fiscal year (FY) 2017.

(R-L) Faiza Ali (Office of the speaker of the NYC council), 'Abd Al Majeed Leito, Ed Powel (Male District Leader), Councilman Robert E. Cornegy Jr ( Councilman, 36th District), Aisha Amin (local business owner)

Article and photos by 'Abd Al Majeed Leito