You are reading

Applications to Serve on a Queens Community Board Are Now Open

Queens Community Board 1 in Astoria (Photo: Queens Post)

Jan. 13, 2021 By Christina Santucci

The Queens borough president’s office has launched its first-ever online application for seats on the borough’s 14 community boards.

Those interested in serving on a Queens community board must submit their application by Feb 19. The appointments are for two-year terms that begin on April 1.

This year the application process has been digitized given COVID-19. Previously, the forms had to be notarized, and applicants were required to mail their documents to Queens Borough Hall or drop them off in person.

Queens Borough President Donovan Richards said in a statement that the goal of the digitized application was to streamline the process, particularly during the COVID-19 pandemic, and attract a more diverse applicant pool of “qualified and civic-minded individuals.”

Richards noted that the online form would be safer, quicker and easier, particularly for those in areas of the borough with less access to public transportation.

“This common-sense overhaul of the outdated community board application process represents a significant step toward ensuring that our 14 Queens Community Boards truly look, sound and feel like the diverse neighborhoods of each district,” Richards said in a statement.

To be eligible, applicants must live, work, go to school, own a business or have a significant interest in the district in which they would like to serve. The application form includes questions about potential conflicts of interest, demographics and access to transportation and technology, as well as an essay section.

Community boards act in advisory roles for elected officials and government agencies about land use and zoning issues in their respective districts.

The boards, which are limited to 50 members and meet monthly, also issue recommendations about the city’s budget, municipal services and other matters specific to their communities.

Community board members, who do not receive salaries, must reapply every two years for their seats and may serve up to four consecutive terms.

Approximately half of the members’ terms expire each year, so appointments of roughly 350 new and returning members are expected to be made this year.

The Community Board Districts in NYC. There are 14 in Queens represented in purple (NYC)

email the author: news@queenspost.com

One Comment

Click for Comments 

Leave a Comment
Reply to this Comment

All comments are subject to moderation before being posted.

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.

Recent News

Fall fun in western Queens: Your guide to the best seasonal events

Aug. 29, 2025 By Jessica Militello

With beach days and summer BBQs behind us, the start of September rings in the start of magnificent Fall foliage, Halloween and more fun activities that come with the start of Autumn, including a list of Fall events in the area. From apple picking to seasonal ciders and more, there is tons to explore in the community. From Mystic Markets to scary movie meet-ups and more, here is a list of Fall events you do not want to miss.

Astoria doctor sentenced to more than two decades in prison for rape and sexual abuse: DA

An Astoria doctor was sentenced to 24 years in prison on Thursday in Queens Supreme Court for raping unconscious acquaintances and sexually abusing hospital patients.

Dr. Zhi Alan Cheng, 35, of Broadway, pleaded guilty on June 30 to four counts of rape in the first degree and three counts of sexual abuse in the first degree in satisfaction of the consolidated indictments against him. He additionally entered an Alford plea to one count of sexual abuse. The defendant — a former gastroenterologist at New York-Presbyterian Queens Hospital — recorded the abuse of his unconscious victims with his cell phone in both his Astoria apartment and at the hospital.