NYC participatory budgeting is a pair of city programs that hand real spending decisions to residents. The older one, PBNYC, is run by the City Council and lets voters in participating districts choose roughly $1 million in local infrastructure projects. The newer one, The People’s Money, is run by the Civic Engagement Commission and puts $4 million from the city’s expense budget toward community services chosen citywide. Both are open to anyone who lives in New York City and is at least 11 years old, with no citizenship requirement.1NYC Civic Engagement Commission. The People’s Money – 3rd Cycle
The Two Programs and What Each Funds
Which program you use depends on what you want built or funded.
PBNYC: Capital Projects in Your Council District
PBNYC has run since 2011, when four Council members piloted it. Participating members set aside at least $1 million in capital funds and let residents of their district decide how it’s spent.2NYC Open Data. Participatory Budgeting Projects Because the money is capital, it can only pay for physical infrastructure with a long useful life: playground equipment, school technology labs, security cameras in NYCHA developments, street safety fixes, library renovations. Staff salaries, programming, and consumables are not eligible. Participation varies each cycle because each Council member decides whether to opt in.
The People’s Money: Citywide Community Services
The People’s Money is separate and citywide, run by the NYC Civic Engagement Commission. It funds services and programs rather than construction: youth internships, financial literacy workshops, housing counseling for older adults, small-business support. The process runs on a two-year cycle, with idea collection, borough assemblies, and voting in year one, and partner organizations delivering the winning projects in year two.1NYC Civic Engagement Commission. The People’s Money – 3rd Cycle
Who Can Take Part
The voting age is 11, set by formal rule of the Civic Engagement Commission.3NYC Rules. Minimum Age to Participate in Participatory Budget Immigrants can participate on the same terms as citizens. The low barrier is intentional, since standard elections leave out noncitizens and everyone under 18 even though they use the same parks, schools, and sidewalks.
For PBNYC, you have to live in a Council district that chose to run a cycle. The Council’s PB page and the voting portal at rnd.council.nyc.gov/PB_Voting/ show which districts are in.4New York City Council. Participatory Budgeting If yours isn’t, The People’s Money is still open to you. Questions about PBNYC go to pbnyc@council.nyc.gov.
Submitting an Idea
Each PBNYC cycle opens with idea collection. The Council runs an online tool called the PB Idea Map at rnd.council.nyc.gov/ideamap/ where you pin a proposal to a specific location.5New York City Council. Idea Map – Submit and Explore Ideas You can search for an address and right-click to open a submission form, or use the “Submit My Idea” button and enter details manually.6New York City Council. PBNYC – Home
A useful submission names the exact location, the problem the project would solve, and who would benefit. Identifying the right city agency helps too. Playground work runs through NYC Parks, public housing cameras through NYCHA, school upgrades through the Department of Education. Photos or a map of the site make a difference when staff later assess feasibility.
From Idea to Ballot: Budget Delegates
Submitted ideas don’t go straight to voters. Volunteer residents called budget delegates research the proposals, prioritize them, work with city agencies on cost estimates and technical plans, present the results at community expos, and turn the strongest ideas into ballot items.7New York City Council. Get Involved – Participatory Budgeting Committees need at least five members, and the role typically means several months of meetings.
If you want more influence than a single vote carries, this is where it sits. The Council’s participation page at council.nyc.gov/pb/participate/ lists open delegate roles for the current cycle.
Voting
Once the ballot is set, the district holds a vote lasting about a week. For the 2026 PBNYC cycle, the districtwide vote runs April 11 through 19.4New York City Council. Participatory Budgeting You can vote online through the Council’s voting portal or on paper at designated community sites, including some public library branches.8The New York Public Library. Take Part in NYC’s 2025 Participatory Budgeting and Help Choose Projects to Get Funding in Your Community After tallying, the top projects are submitted by the Council member for inclusion in the city’s adopted budget that June, which is the step that legally commits the money.
What Happens After a Project Wins
Winning a vote isn’t the same as breaking ground. Capital projects need engineering, design, permitting, and procurement before construction starts, so the gap between a winning vote and a completed project typically runs two to five years. The Council member’s office tracks progress and acts as the go-between with the implementing agency. If a project stalls, that office is the first point of contact, reachable through the same pbnyc@council.nyc.gov address used during the idea phase.4New York City Council. Participatory Budgeting