Dear Ward 8 Residents:

It is budget season and my main goal is to ensure the disbursement of budget funding be done in a way that prioritizes residents and communities that need it the most.

The Mayor released the proposed budget and financial plan and submitted it to the Council. I am thrilled to see a $60 million investment in a regionally competitive sports and recreation complex to provide recreation for people across the District. Recreation was a tool that helped me to connect with mentors and kept me off the streets. I equate it to saving my life and I believe more is needed in our city.  

I applaud the $3.8 million in out-of-school core recreation programming and the $5 million for out-of-school time grant opportunities. However, we need to dig deeper and provide funding to more grassroots organizations that are doing the work. Additionally, I would also like to see more significant investments in violence prevention, as we see spikes in crime throughout the city.

As the Chairperson for the Committee on Recreation, Libraries and Youth Affairs, I have several agencies under my purview. As part of the budget process, I will conduct public hearings to review requests from these agencies and prepare a budget report of the recommendations to be marked up and approved by the full committee. 

The following Budget Oversight Hearings for the month are March are scheduled below and can be viewed by the public on my Facebook page:

• Office of Cable Television, Film, Music & Entertainment, March 23, 2022 | 12:00 PM
• Department of Youth Rehabilitation Services, March 28, 2022 | 12:00 PM
• Department of Parks and Recreation, March 31, 2022 | 12:00 PM

Budget season is a critical time to get it right for our city's residents. The budget is how we show our residents – not just tell them – that we are listening and will provide them with the resources they so much deserve. 

Regards, 



 Councilmember Trayon White, Sr.