Be a voice for your neighborhood: CB applications now open

January 7, 2020 Meaghan McGoldrick

Community Board 5 members wait to get into the building before the monthly meeting. Photo: Noah Goldberg/BrooklynEagle

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Ever thought about joining your local community board? Now’s your chance.

Borough President Eric Adams is encouraging Brooklynites to apply for an opening on one of the borough’s 18 community boards.

Community boards weigh in on matters like land use proposals, street co-namings and traffic changes, among others. Though their recommendations are purely advisory, the boards can act as organizing forces in their neighborhoods. Community board opposition has, at times, proven effective in squashing development plans and rezonings, bike lane installations and liquor licenses.

You must be 16 or older to apply for a seat on a community board. Applications for 2020 appointments and re-appointments are due by Friday, Feb. 14, and can be filled out on the borough president’s website. According to Adams’ office, the application is available “on a rolling basis to encourage a robust, diverse pool of submissions year-round.”

Board members must reside, work or have some other stake in the community, like a child enrolled in a local school. While half of a board’s appointees come from City Council nominations, borough presidents are ultimately tasked with appointing each board’s 50 unsalaried members.

Community Board 10 members speak at a hearing on the Dyker Heights Lights. Photo: Emil Cohen/New York City Council

In November, an analysis by the Brooklyn Eagle and Measure of America found that a number of Brooklyn boards don’t accurately reflect the districts they serve. Specifically, a report on community board membership released by Adams revealed a lack of Latinx and Asian people serving on Brooklyn’s community boards, as well as a shortage of young representatives and women.

Representation appears to be key for the borough president as he heads into 2020.

“Joining a community board is the best way to get involved and make a difference in your neighborhood,” Adams said in a statement. “Since I first took office, we have worked to increase representation on community boards among younger people and other underrepresented groups. Whether you live in Cobble Hill or Canarsie, Bushwick or Brighton Beach, I encourage every Brooklynite to apply and make your voice heard.”