It’s only September, but ’tis never too early to start thinking about the next city budget. And increasingly in New York, that means it’s not too early to start talking about participatory budgeting. That’s the process that allows residents of some City Council districts to develop and vote on proposals for how to spend a portion of the capital funding that each Council member allocates every year. First tried in New York City in 2011 with four participating members, it will involve 27 of them in the next round.

Not everyone is convinced that participatory budgeting represents real progress toward a more inclusive democracy. The amount of money involved is relatively modest and the rules restrict the funding to one-time building and repair projects, not any ongoing programs. More important, the amount of time it takes to be fully invested in the process is considerable, favoring residents who have that kind of time to spend. In the end, decisions on the city’s 11-figure expense budget and multi-billion-dollar capital budget will mostly be made the old-fashioned way: by people we elect, behind closed doors.

Still, the $32 million spent via participatory budgeting in the current budget year is not exactly chump change. Below is a list of the members participating this year and a calendar of upcoming meeting dates. Those interested in learning more about the process, click here.

Participating Councilmembers

Upcoming Meeting Dates