News report

New York City's Civic Engagement Commission opened a new idea-submission period for The People's Money on October 14, 2026. The citywide participatory-budgeting process is accepting proposals online and through idea-generation workshops until November 18.

The program gives New Yorkers a route to suggest community services before ideas move through review and later public decision-making. The official participation platform says the process is open to New Yorkers including young people and immigrants, bringing a wider set of residents into discussion of local needs.

The submission rules focus on programs and services that can operate within existing buildings and infrastructure. They exclude proposals for new construction or repairs. Ideas also cannot require changing the law, changing how a city agency operates or increasing city staffing.

Those limits define the kind of spending residents are being asked to consider. A community service can be proposed within the process, while a proposal to reconstruct a street or alter a statute belongs to a different public decision channel. The platform publishes ideas so participants can see what others have suggested.

As of November 8, the idea period remains open. Submission is an early stage, and an idea's appearance online does not mean it has been approved or funded. The commission's program pages also display previous cycles' winning ideas and projects, providing context for how suggestions can progress into funded services. The current opening is an opportunity to identify needs and compare proposals within the published program rules.

Sources