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There are 14 community boards in Queens.
By Forum Staff
The Queens Borough President’s Office has received 884 applications from residents seeking appointment to one of the borough’s 14 community boards this year, Borough President Donovan Richards, Jr. announced Monday.
It is the second-most applications received in the office’s history, following 2021’s CB application process, which saw a record 941 forms submitted, BP officials noted.
Richards began receiving applications in early January for two-year terms of community board service, which will begin on Friday, April 1, 2022.
This year’s 884 applicants include 610 people who are not currently members of a community board — just shy of last year’s 698 new applicants but more than double the amount of new applicants during the 2020 community board application process — while 274 individuals applied for re-appointment to a community board.
Richards reinstated efforts to make the application process more accessible as well as safer amid the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. As such, applications were again simplified to a digitized format, a reform put in place last year, with all applications submitted via an easy-to-complete online form. Years prior, applications had to be prepared on paper and be notarized before they were turned in at the Queens Borough President’s Office.
The simplified process led to a significantly diverse pool of applicants in 2021 that enabled Borough President Richards to select 110 community board members that were more diverse in terms of gender identity, age, race, sexual orientation, economic status, and immigration status, among other factors.
Richards attributed the tremendous enthusiasm in this year’s community board application process to a reflection of his continued outreach efforts and commitment to fostering interest in community service among Queens residents of all backgrounds and identities.
“Government must not only work hand-in-hand with the communities it serves in order to be impactful, it must also be justly representative of those very communities. After yet another successful application process, I believe we’re well-positioned to build on the progress we made last year to diversify Queens’ 14 community boards and create a fairer, stronger borough for all our families,” Richards said. “I am deeply grateful to all 884 individuals who stepped up and applied to serve their communities, and I look forward to working with all of them to carry Queens into the future.”
Community boards are local representative bodies that have a variety of responsibilities, including but not limited to addressing land use and zoning issues. The boards have an important advisory role and must be consulted on the placement of most municipal facilities in a community. Applications for zoning changes or variances must also come before the boards for review.
The boards hold hearings and issue recommendations about the City budget, municipal service delivery, and numerous other matters that impact their communities.
All Queens community board members are appointed by the borough president, pursuant to the City Charter, with half of the appointees nominated by the City Council members representing their respective community districts. Each board has up to 50 unsalaried members who serve two-year terms.
All community board members who wish to continue serving on a board are required to reapply at the conclusion of their two-year terms and are subject to review and reconsideration.
