June 28, 2024

Dear neighbor,

On Tuesday, the Council took the final vote on the fiscal year 2025 Budget Support Act (BSA). For years until the pandemic, the city’s revenues grew steadily keeping tough decisions at bay. During the pandemic, federal support fortified the District’s finances. Meanwhile, revenue growth slowed, WMATA’s needs increased considerably, and inflationary pressures impacted District costs. These things came together to make this year the most difficult budget in many years. On balance, however, I was pleased we were able to advance many important goals and protect key community priorities, including supporting early childhood education, schools, and seniors. My last newsletter, which you can read here, went into detail on what we achieved in the budget.

Given the challenges of this budget cycle, there are lingering issues that are priorities for me and which the Council will need to address in the coming months:

Pay Equity Fund: The mayor’s budget proposal slashed the Pay Equity Fund for early childhood educators, which would have devastated this sector, the teachers who serve in it, and the families who rely on it. The Council restored most of the funding for the program, with the expectation that an existing taskforce would provide guidance on how to manage any shortfall. The CFO, however, ultimately required the Council to demonstrate a way for the shortfall to be managed. As a result, the BSA passed by the Council directed that in the first quarter of FY25 early childhood educators with bachelor’s degrees would not receive a premium over teachers with associate degrees. While this measure balances the books, I believe there should be a pay premium tied to degrees, particularly as we made that commitment to teachers who have invested in their education. The step the Council was forced to take is not the right answer, but it puts the onus on the taskforce to develop alternative recommendations promptly.

Out-of-state Municipal Bonds: One of the major disappointments in the budget process was the elimination of the tax exemption on interest earned on out-of-state municipal bonds. These bonds are an important part of the investment strategy used by a significant number of our seniors, many of whom live on fixed incomes. There are not enough District bonds to meet local demand for such investments, and even if there were, exclusive reliance on District bonds would preclude diversification within this investment strategy. The BSA improved the situation by delaying the tax exemption elimination until tax year 2025 and expanding local tax-exempt bonds to include those issued by DC Water, WMATA, and the DC Housing Finance Agency. I plan to work with Councilmember Brooke Pinto, who shares my concerns, to try to find a way to prevent this tax from harming seniors in our city.

Housing: The magnitude of the need far outstripped the resources in the budget. The Urban Institute recently issued a report suggesting it could take $800 million a year to address our affordable housing needs. At the same time, landlords are warning of challenges they face with rising costs and growing delinquency rates. We must take a hard look at our programs and priorities; the challenges of housing affordability are likely only to become more acute.

While the FY25 budget process has come to a close, there are additional fiscal milestones ahead. By law, the District must pass a balanced budget, and the one passed on Tuesday was based on the CFO’s February Revenue Estimate. The CFO issued the June revenue estimate today indicating no change in his projection. The next revenue estimates will come at the end of September and December. If revenue estimates decrease, the District may need to make adjustments to maintain balance. If they increase, additional funds may become available.

Matt Frumin

Ward 3 Councilmember

Prior to this week’s final vote on the budget, DDOT held a community meeting on the agency’s revised plans for safety improvements on Connecticut Avenue. I had urged them to hold this meeting after the Acting Director made clear at a budget hearing that the administration would not include bike lanes as part of the project but would eventually put forward a new plan for Connecticut Avenue and for north-south bike transit in upper Northwest. It was important for DDOT to inform the community about the alternative plans and not expect them to commit to a player to be named later.

What was clear at the community meeting was that there was little, if any, enthusiasm for the new proposal. Meanwhile, it also became clear that no actual construction would start on the relatively elaborate concept until mid-2026 at the earliest.

After the community meeting, DDOT stepped back and took another look at their capital budget for Streetscapes and Beautification, which includes roadway and safety improvements. This budget had been cut by roughly $40 million, and the agency concluded that one place they could achieve savings while still delivering immediate safety improvements was Connecticut Avenue. DDOT announced this week that they intend to pursue a less elaborate and less costly safety project:

DDOT is evaluating a scaled back project within the limitations of the reduced budget that would include critical safety upgrades on Connecticut Avenue focusing on:  

· Improving the safety of uncontrolled pedestrian crossings with improved signage and other enhanced pedestrian safety features;  

· Reducing driver and pedestrian conflicts by removing the slip lanes at certain intersections, such as those of Nebraska Avenue and Fessenden Street and providing other appropriate safety interventions.

This modified approach does not preclude DDOT from considering future safety improvements at a point when funding is available. 

At the same time, DDOT will develop a five-year bike plan, including options for north-south bike routes in upper Northwest, which they anticipate releasing in 2026.

While I support taking modest immediate steps to make Connecticut Avenue safer for pedestrians, it will be important to pursue significant planning to consider additional safety measures and to ensure that the promise of north-south bike transit in upper Northwest is delivered. I look forward to working with DDOT and community stakeholders to consider and refine the DDOT short-term plan and to engage in planning to achieve our broader transit safety goals.

Last week, I shared an update on the Wilson Aquatic Center and committed to visiting the pool regularly to check on progress toward reopening. I was pleased to see Wednesday that DGS had completed the leak repair and begun refilling the pool, with additional progress on Thursday morning. The facilities team will need a few days to finish filling the pools, chlorinate, run the filtration system, and then test the water. Only then can they move to reopen. The mayor and her team visited the pool last week, and I know it is as much a priority for the administration as it is for me. I will continue tracking the aquatic center's progress closely with periodic site visits. Absent any new surprises, we are getting close, and I will share a revised opening date as soon as one is available.

In the interim, I am grateful to DPR for agreeing to my request for expanded hours at Hearst Pool, 3701 37th St., while the Wilson Aquatic Center is closed. The outdoor pool is now open Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, and Friday from 6 am to 8 pm, and Saturday and Sunday from 10 am to 6 pm. Hearst is closed on Thursdays.

WMATA is redesigning its bus network to meet the transit needs of our region, and my staff and I have been speaking with residents across the ward about the impact of those changes. I hope you'll join me for a Ward 3 Better Bus Forum on Tuesday, July 9, at 7 pm. WMATA will provide an update on the proposed new bus routes and then we'll open the floor for your questions and feedback. Register online for this virtual forum and submit your comments and questions in advance so WMATA can respond fully at the event.

My team and I will be walking in the 58th annual Palisades Parade on July 4th and would love to have you join us. Come march with us to the sounds of Crush Funk Brass Band as we celebrate. Thank you to the Palisades Community Association for continuing this beloved Ward 3 tradition.

Many students benefit from free and reduced-price meals during the school year, but we know that hunger doesn’t stop on the last day of school. The District continues to provide meals for students and families who are food insecure during the summer months through:

DCPS summer programming: Any child who is participating in a summer program at a DC Public School facility will receive meals during the program.

DC Youth Meals: At specific schools, youth 18 and younger can receive free meals. No application or ID required. In Ward 3, meals will be provided at Jackson-Reed High School, starting June 28, and at Horace Mann Elementary, starting July 8. A list of sites citywide is available at https://osse.dc.gov/dcyouthmeals.

Note: The Ward 3 locations will be added to the site soon. We thank OSSE and DCPS for working with our office to make them available!

SUN Bucks, or Summer Electronic Benefits Transfer (SEBT): SUN Bucks provides a pre-loaded card with $120 for income-eligible families to buy groceries. Some students were pre-approved for SUN Bucks and do not need to apply. If your student was not pre-approved, please fill out a brief application form (it takes less than 15 minutes) so that your student’s eligibility can be reviewed.

If you have questions about any of these programs, please visit the websites above or contact our office for assistance at 202-724-8062 or fruminoffice@dccouncil.gov

Through September 6, the Department of Public Works will start trash and recycling collections at 6:00 am to beat the heat. On code red days, collections will start at 5:30 am.

A reminder that following a DC public holiday, like Independence Day, trash and recycling collection will "slide" to the next day for the rest of the week. If you live in an area with twice-a-week collection, Monday/Thursday or Tuesday/Friday, then your collection days slide to Tuesday/Friday and Wednesday/Saturday, respectively. For more information, call 311 or (202) 737-4404 or visit www.dpw.dc.gov.

Save the date! The District will hold an e-CYCLE event on Friday, July 19, from 10 am to 2 pm, on Connecticut Ave NW between Northampton St NW & McKinley St NW (near Chevy Chase Community Center). Recycle computers, TVs, and related items at this free event. Click here for a list of items eligible for recycling.

Advisory Neighborhood Commission Meetings

ANC3A: Tuesday, July 16, 7 pm, at the McLean Gardens Ballroom and Zoom 

ANC3B: Thursday, July 11, 7 pm, Zoom

ANC3C: Monday, July 15, 7 pm, Zoom 

ANC3D: Wednesday, July 3, 7 pm, Zoom    

ANC3E: Thursday, July 11, 7:30 pm, Zoom 

ANC3F: Tuesday, July 16, 7 pm, Zoom  

ANC3/4G: Monday, July 8, 6 pm, at Chevy Chase Community Center and Zoom

MPD Community Walks - June 2024

PSA 205, Saturday, June 29, 10 am, starting at 4500 Q St, NW

Fort Reno Concert Series

Now in its 57th year, the annual Fort Reno Concert Series kicks off the summer season on Monday, July 8. The free outdoor concerts will be held on Mondays and Thursdays throughout July. All shows begin at 7 pm on the stage at Fort Reno Park, 4000 Chesapeake St, NW. A full schedule of bands is available online.

Councilmember Matt Frumin

1350 Pennsylvania Avenue NW

Suite 408

202-724-8062