Community Boards

The Borough President must ensure adequate representation from different geographic neighborhoods in the district and must consider whether each community’s constituencies are represented.

Community board meetings are managed with a parliamentary structure (much like the City Council or U.S. Congress). Every board has an Executive Committee elected by the board that includes a chair, vice chairs, a secretary and a treasurer. Boards are empowered to establish their own committee structure and procedures, based upon the needs of their districts, and frequently include Land Use and Zoning, Parks and Waterfront, Health and Human Services, Nightlife and Business Applications, Transportation, Landmarks and Preservation, and Education and Youth Services. Each community board member is expected to serve on a minimum of two committees.

All community board meetings are open to the public. The full board of each district meets once a month; meetings rotate locations but are held at the same monthly times. Committees meet more frequently to discuss their individual areas of responsibility.

Two borough-wide boards meet each month and bring together representatives from community boards. The 2025 meeting calendar is available here.

The Borough Board, consisting of Manhattan’s City Council members and community board chairs, focuses on issues dealing with land use, development, public policy, budget, and other important matters with potential borough wide implications. Manhattan Borough Board meetings generally occur on the third Thursday of each month and are webcast live.

The Borough Service Cabinet, chaired by the Manhattan Borough President and composed of the district managers of Manhattan’s community boards and representatives from city agencies, focuses on city service delivery and agency responsiveness across the borough.

Community Board applications are now open! Click here to access the application to join your local Community Board in 2025.

Prospective members must submit a biography or resume and complete a comprehensive online application explaining why they want to join the board, what skills they offer, and their relationship to their districts. These applications are reviewed and evaluated by an independent screening panel. Qualified applicants are interviewed on the panel’s recommendation by staff members of the Manhattan Borough President’s office.

Appointments are based on the application, panel recommendation, and interviews.

Current community board members seeking to continue their service are required to fill out a re-application form prior to the expiration of their term. Reappointment is not guaranteed. Re-applying members are subject to the same application process as prospective members but are automatically granted interviews. Members must continue to demonstrate a significant interest in their community board, the ability to make the required time commitment, and a track record of constructive participation.

Each community board member serves for two years and can re-apply at the end of their term. Members are usually expected to serve on a minimum of two committees, typically broken down by issue area and/or neighborhood, as well as attend the monthly board meeting where all committees make a report to the full board membership. Members of community boards serve without compensation but may be reimbursed for actual, necessary out-of-pocket expenses in connection with their responsibilities.

Community board membership is a major time commitment. Members are expected to be active, involved, and maintain a record of good attendance. In addition, they should seek to adhere to the principles of good government: honesty, accountability, and the avoidance of conflicts of interest.

The Office of the Manhattan Borough President is committed to ensuring that all public meetings in which people gather to perform the business of local government are conducted with the highest levels of cordiality, professionalism, and respect. This is especially true of community boards, where such conduct is critical for efficient and productive deliberations.

The MPBO will work to ensure such standards are adhered to. The extent to which board members live up to these goals will be considered in the re-appointment process. The following Code of Conduct further details expectations for community board members.

• Attendance: Community board members are expected to attend and participate regularly in full board and assigned committee meetings. Additionally, community board members are expected to attend and participate in mandatory annual trainings offered by the Office of the Manhattan Borough President, including Conflicts of Interest, Equal Employment Opportunity, and Implicit Bias and Discrimination trainings.
• Non-Discrimination: Discrimination and harassment of any kind are strictly prohibited. community board members are expected to abide by the Office of the Manhattan Borough President’s Equal Employment Opportunity and Sexual Harassment Prevention policies as well as the New York City Human Rights Law.
• Respectfulness and Professionalism: All community board members are expected to conduct themselves professionally on the board, and act respectfully toward all individuals whom they interact with in the context of their role as a community board member. Community board members are strictly prohibited from threatening, intimidating, or harassing other members, Community board employees, or the public. This mandate of civil behavior extends to all in- person, written and virtual communication including all forms of social media. Members must refrain from personal attacks on fellow members, especially criticisms that explicitly or implicitly invoke race, gender or any other personal characteristic. Where board members disagree on an issue before the board, they must engage in respectful, collegial debate and discussion within the confines of the board.
• Eligibility: Community board members are required to notify the Office of the Manhattan Borough President of any changes that may affect the member’s eligibility to serve on the community board (eg change of residence to outside of the community district, accepting employment with an appointing City Council Member, etc).

Conflicts of Interest: Community board members must abide by the New York City’s conflicts of interest law (Chapter 68 of the New York City Charter) and all relevant guidance from the Conflicts of Interest Board, including but not limited to the requirement that a member must disclose a conflict and abstain from voting on a matter that impacts the member’s private interest, as well as the prohibition on the use of a city title or resources for political activity.