Ward 3 Update: A First Look at the Budget

Dear Neighbors,

Earlier today, Mayor Bowser released her proposed Fiscal Year 2022 (FY22) Annual Operating Budget & Capital Plan and provided a presentation on it's contents to the Council. This will be the first of two presentations by the Executive on the FY22 Budget, with a more in-depth Council briefing set for next Wednesday, June 2nd. As the Council begins the careful evaluation of the many budget items before us, I would like to share my initial thoughts on some major District initiatives and budget items relevant to Ward 3:

Schools - I am very pleased to share that the Executive agreed with my request to restore funding for an addition at Stoddert Elementary School. Full funding was also maintained for two new schools in Ward 3 and an addition at Deal Middle School. These measures represent significant investments in Ward 3 schools and aim to address overcrowding, but outstanding issues remain (including the funding cut for an addition at Key Elementary School). I'm also seeking clarity as to whether and to what extent the proposed school budgets account for federal dollars or not, because, although all but one Ward 3 school is slated to see increased funding in the next school year, it appears that DC Public Schools has reduced the projected funding from the initial school budgets released earlier this year—changes that have resulted in the loss of Deal and Wilson's two full-time librarians.

Health - This year's budget also provides the final funding needed for the Childhood Lead Prevention Amendment Act and offers a significant investment in Produce Rx, an outstanding program that adopts a 'food as medicine' approach for diet-related illness. Looking at mental health supports, the proposed budget offers an $8 million investment in expanding school-based mental health services and a $13 million investment in services for those experiencing a mental health crisis or substance abuse issues. The District's Paid Family Leave Program will also see a significant enhancement to enable prenatal medical leave and domestic violence/stalking/sexual abuse recovery leave. Unfortunately, one element that was drastically underfunded in the proposed budget was a measure that would reduce exposure to lead in drinking water by strengthening DC Water's lead water service line replacement program.

• A quick note on food access - Unfortunately, the WIC Expansion Act, the Save Good Food Act, and the COVID-19-related provisions of the Zero Waste Omnibus Act were not funded in the proposed budget. However, there were significant gains made in terms of food access, including a $58 million investment to expand access to grocery stores and sit-down restaurants in Wards 7 and 8.

Neighborhood Revitalization - Three Small Area Plans have been funded in the current budget for the Friendship Heights, Tenleytown, and the Cleveland Park/Woodley Park neighborhoods. Small Area Plans use a community engagement process to prioritize and address neighborhood needs through the Office of Planning, playing an important role in supplementing the Comprehensive Plan (for more on this program, please click here: Small Area Plan 101).

Policing & Public Safety - Two notable investments in public safety in the proposed budget include the dedication of $7.8 million for additional community violence interrupters and $6.8 million for an alternative response model for non-emergency 911 calls. Under the alternative response model, mental health specialists and agency staff are deployed in response to non-emergency situations, such as those 911 calls relating to mental distress, minor traffic crashes, and parking complaints (for more on this effort, please see: "DC begins final testing in shifting 911 calls to mental health counselors").

Vision Zero & Road Safety - While there are significant financial investments in the District's streetscapes and bus lane/bike lane/trail infrastructure (including allocating $25 million/per Ward for road repair and repaving), it is not yet clear to what degree the Executive was able to fund the Vision Zero Enhancement Omnibus Act. I will share more on this as we're able to take a closer look into the FY22 Budget documents.

Of course, this is simply a first look at the current budget proposal, and it will only be upon closer analysis that we'll be able to determine what changes and additional enhancements must be made. But, upon a first look, there are many promising financial investments in the Mayor's proposed budget (such as a $400 million contribution to the Housing Production Trust Fund and $325 million for rent/utility assistance through STAY DC) that will well-position the District for a strong economic recovery.

Regards,

Mary