For Immediate Release:
May 29, 2019
Contact:
Rita D. Lewis, Communications Director
DC Council Funds Critical Investments in
Fiscal Year 2020 Local Budget Act
Yesterday, Councilmember Robert White joined his colleagues in voting to approve the Fiscal Year 2020 Budget for the District of Columbia. White said, “There is no such thing as a perfect budget, but I am proud of the historic investments my colleagues and I made in the people of our city.”
Included in the budget is:
- $180 million for affordable and workforce housing
- Over $1.96 billion for DC public and charter schools, a 3% increase over last year
- Over $35 million for adult education and workforce training programs
- Over $569 million for public safety, including $10.6 million for violence intervention
White said, “The investments the Council made are far from meeting the full needs of our residents, but today we made a strong down payment.” White pulled money out of the Committee on Facilities and Procurement, which he chairs, to provide additional funding for schools, housing, adult education and workforce programs, and violence intervention. Here is the
link
to those investments. He said, “The Council seems to recognize that we cannot work in silos if we want to address the needs of our city fully. This budget reflected a group effort.”
White added, "I am worried about the future finances of the city. The city will have to audit existing programs better to adequately fund our priorities in the coming years." He noted his concern that city revenues are beginning to decline after years of increases and that the city is relying too heavily on raising taxes every year.
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