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PUBLIC TESTIMONY
Testimony by Shawn Alyse Campbell, District Manager of Brooklyn Community Board 14, on Community Board Resources
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Shawn Alyse Campbell, District Manager of Brooklyn Community Board 14, testified about the historical context and need for increased resources and support for community boards citywide. She highlighted the lack of significant budget increases for over 20 years and the growing responsibilities of community boards despite fewer staff.
- Community boards have not had a significant budget increase in over 20 years, with average annual increases (1.5%) falling below inflation rates (2.55%)
- Staff numbers for community boards have decreased from 159 in 2002 to 148 currently, while other city agencies have seen significant increases
- Campbell called for a baseline budget increase, adjustments to keep up with growing responsibilities, and a stabilized funding mechanism for community boards
Shawn Alyse Campbell
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Thank you.
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I will begin.
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First of all, good afternoon Mr.
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Chair and members of the committee.
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My name is Sean Campbell.
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I'm the district manager of Brooklyn Community Board fourteen and I'm here to offer a historical context for the need for resources and support for community boards citywide.
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I appreciate the opportunity to testify today despite the fact that we were not on the agenda.
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Thank you for this time.
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My colleagues will follow me with specific examples of the impacts that inadequate resources and support are having on our ability to meet our responsibilities.
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But know first that community boards are independent city agencies that have not had a significant budget increase in over twenty years.
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Annual budget changes have ranged from an increase of five plus percent to decreases of 7.3%, and the average from 02/2002 to 2022 was 1.5% increase per year.
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Note at the same time inflation was averaged to about 2.55%.
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We are not keeping up.
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Inarguably, we have far more to do than community boards did in 02/2002, yet we have fewer staff with which to meet those responsibilities.
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In 02/2002, had 159 full time staff.
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We now have about 148.
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Compare that to another small city agency, the Department of Cultural Affairs, which went from 31 to 49 in that same period, or to an agency that supports us, OTI, that went from two eighty five, a head count of two eighty five in 02/2002, to a whopping fifteen thirty nine and yet still only one tech support staffer for all 59 community boards.
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Or look at the mayor's office, which went from eight fifty nine to 1,100 plus full time staffers.
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So not only do we need this baseline budget increase and the adjustment to keep up with our growing populations, our growing responsibilities, and the economy itself, but it must be stabilized, tying it to either a funding formula or parity with another service providing agency or even a percentage of a percentage of the full city budget.
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My colleagues will continue with specific examples of how serving our communities and meeting New York City charter mandates are challenged by the lack of support in baseline budget resources.
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Thank you for your time and consideration.