Want a say in your Brooklyn neighborhood? Community board seats are open until Feb. 8

Applications are open for seats on Brooklyn’s 18 community boards. Residents can apply until 11:59 p.m. on Feb. 8, 2027.

Community boards are the most local level of city government. Members weigh in on land use, liquor licenses, transportation projects and more. No other borough has as many boards as Brooklyn, and each one seats up to 50 volunteers. Some reside in the district, some are employed there, and others are simply invested in it. Boards carry neighborhood priorities to city agencies, local leaders and elected officials, so that local needs shape decisions on housing development, public transit, the city budget and services such as sanitation.

Who can serve and how much time it takes

Any New York resident 16 or older is eligible. Boards gather once a month from September through June inside their district. Each member is expected to show up in person for that monthly session, sit on a committee and go to its meetings. Plan on 6 to 8 hours monthly in total. Every board chooses its own priorities. Brooklyn Community Board members serve either one-year or staggered two-year terms that begin on April 1, according to NYC.gov.

Borough President Reynoso said he wants the boards to reflect the borough’s diversity. His office has moved Borough Hall resources into training and operational support for the boards. “The people who know our communities best are those who live, work, and raise their families in them,” Reynoso said.

How to apply for a Brooklyn community board

Start by finding your district at communityprofiles.planning.nyc.gov, the city planning site that lists every district.

Next, fill out the application form with details about yourself and why you want to join. City Council members nominate at least half of each board’s appointees, according to NYC.gov. Then have a short virtual conversation with a member of the Borough President’s team. Applicants hear back once board selections have been made.