Other or unclear
Ideas that are off-topic, unclear, too general to classify, or outside the City's role.
Residents in this catch-all theme mostly make broad or unclear asks for community help, cost relief, or ways to spend the $2 million, plus requests outside the City's role.
Theme grouped and summary written with AI from this theme's resident ideas.
169 ideas across three cycles
| Cycle | Ideas | Share of all ideas | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024–25 | 71 | 5.8% | 7 of 20 |
| 2025–26 | 52 | 4.3% | 11 of 20 |
| 2026–27 | 46 | 3.5% | 14 of 20 |
Needs that keep coming back
General help for the community
Residents ask for more opportunities, services or resources for their community without naming a specific project, so the ideas cannot be classified further.
Raised in 2024–25, 2025–26, 2026–27
Ideas about how the participatory budgeting money is used
Some residents urge more or all of the budget go to participatory budgeting, while others propose giving the $2 million to a single cause or organization.
Raised in 2024–25, 2025–26, 2026–27
Direct financial relief for residents
Residents ask for cash support, debt or fee relief, or other help with living costs, often with few details on how the City would deliver it.
Raised in 2024–25, 2025–26, 2026–27
Property tax cuts and returning surplus funds
Residents ask the City to lower property taxes or return surplus money to taxpayers instead of spending it.
Raised in 2024–25, 2026–27
Specific private businesses and food options
Residents ask for particular chains, late-night food, or drinking venues, which are private business decisions rather than City projects.
Raised in 2025–26, 2026–27
2024–25
Cycle 1 had the most ideas and the widest spread, including reentry and legal support, stadium and credit union proposals, and several unclear or joke submissions.
2025–26
Cycle 2 included many empty or one-word submissions alongside cash-payment proposals, public funding for election campaigns, and requests for specific shops and restaurants.
2026–27
Cycle 3 saw more requests about stray animals and spay/neuter services, more property tax relief asks, and a cluster of requests for chain restaurants in Dorchester.
New in 2026–27
Animal-related asks, such as spay/neuter services, rescue grants and a dog shelter, and property tax relief requests grew noticeably in 2026-27.
Funding so far
No winning projects relate to this theme, so none of the recurring asks (general community help, cost relief, tax cuts, animal services, how the budget is spent) has been addressed by a resident-voted project.
Projects are linked to themes by matching each project's description to the themes; this is not an official City classification.
No winning project has addressed this theme yet.
Ideas in Other or unclear
169 ideas
2024–25: 71 · 2025–26: 52 · 2026–27: 46
- Give $2 million to nurses union for strikesResident asks that $2 million go to the nurses union so nurses can strike without financial fear, which is outside the City's participatory budgeting role.2026–27City-wide
- More pay for jobsResident asks for more money for jobs, without saying which jobs or workers; the request is too vague to classify further.2026–27City-wideSubmitted in Spanish
- End povertyResident asks to end poverty, with no specific proposal given.2026–27City-wideSubmitted in Spanish
- Bicycle-related things (unclear)Resident mentions 'bicycle things' without specifying what is requested.2026–27City-wideSubmitted in Spanish
- Help for the whole communityThe resident asks for help for the entire community, without naming a specific service or need.2026–27Jamaica Plain
- Help investing in real estateThe resident asks for help investing in real estate, without saying what kind of program or help is wanted.2026–27City-wide
- Student loan reliefResident asks for student loan relief, with no further detail provided.2025–26City-wideSubmitted in Spanish
- Outdoor beer gardensResident proposes outdoor beer gardens, saying minorities enjoy beer too.2025–26City-wide
- Outreach campaign on considerate behavior across culturesResident proposes outreach via billboards, social media and classrooms encouraging considerate behavior on noise, trash and driving, aiming to reduce negative views of people from different cultures.2025–26City-wide
- Crypto or investment services officeResident suggests a crypto or investment services office, referencing a private company's announcement of a Washington, D.C. office.2025–26City-wide
- Collect unpaid fines from absentee landlordsThe resident asks the city to collect over $12 million in unpaid property violation fines from absentee landlords, citing neglect, rats and neighborhood impacts.2025–26City-wide
- Public matching funds for small city election donationsThe resident asks for public matching funds for small-dollar donations in city elections to reduce the influence of wealthy donors.2025–26City-wide
- Health is a Human Right campaignResident proposes a campaign to align health strategies across sectors, raise awareness of health rights, and add health as a human right to the Massachusetts constitution.2025–26Dorchester
- $2000 direct payments to single momsResident proposes direct $2000 payments to people in need, limited to single mothers.2025–26City-wide
- Welcome to New York signs at city entrancesResident proposes joke signs reading 'Welcome to New York' at Boston's entrances, just to tease people.2025–26City-wide
- Sustainable clothing and supply shopsResident suggests shops that redistribute clothing and supplies from communities with access to those without.2025–26City-wide
- Ice cream stand at Winter and Summer kioskResident suggests using the kiosk at Winter and Summer streets as an ice cream stand, saying downtown lacks ice cream options.2025–26Downtown
- Stop public works employees bothering elderly homeownersResident asks the City to stop paying public works employees who they say interfere with elderly owner-occupants' quiet enjoyment of their property, and to help rather than harm.2025–26City-wide
- City marketing to cruise linesResident asks the City to invest in marketing Boston to cruise lines because cruising from Boston costs more than other ports, arguing tourism brings money in and cheaper cruises benefit residents.2025–26City-wide
- Community education on pet careResident asks for educating the community about pet care, saying it is healthy for all family members.2025–26City-wide