April 4, 2017 | Vol. 3, Issue 13
Dear
Washingtonians,
This
morning, I presented “DC Values in Action,” the
District of Columbia Fiscal Year 2018
(FY2018) Budget and Financial Plan, to the DC Council. As the twenty-second consecutive balanced budget, this proposal will help ensure that every single resident has a roadmap to inclusive prosperity. For the third consecutive year, I held a series of budget engagement
forums to hear directly from you—residents across the city. During these
forums, you shared your ideas and concerns
about education, public
safety, affordable housing, jobs, economic development, and health and
human services. With your
valuable feedback included in this year’s budget, “DC Values in Action” is here
to serve you.
As
DC residents, this budget reflects your
ideas and priorities and delivers on the commitment to
inclusive prosperity. From again investing $100 million in the Housing Production Trust Fund to allocating more
than $1 billion in full-scale school
modernizations, this budget will continue to move our city forward. Here are a few of the key investments proposed in DC
Values in Action:
High-Quality Education
Rising enrollment in
our traditional public and public charter schools, and increasing student
achievement demonstrate that school reform in DC is working. The FY2018 budget
makes the largest investment in public education in the history by:
- Committing an
additional $105 million to increase the per student rate and meet the
needs of a growing student body;
- Increasing charter
school facilities by 2.2 percent to $3,193 per student for non-residential
charter programs and $8,580 per student for residential charter schools;
- Improving
technology to help parents navigate and engage in public education,
specifically the parent portal for DC Public Schools; extending MySchoolDC
for mid-year entries and transfers; and launching a new MyChildCareDC
site;
- Increasing the
University of the District of Columbia (UDC) and the Community College of
the District of Columbia funds for the staff and programs by $5.7 million;
- Expanding and
improving Child Care by $15 million. Potential sites include UDC's
Flagship Campus (4200 Connecticut Avenue, NW), UDC's Community College
Campus (5171 South Dakota Avenue, NE), UDC's Community College Campus
Headquarters (801 North Capitol Street, NE), and the Deanwood Recreation
Center (1350 49th Street, NE);
- Transferring $4.9
million of former DC Children and Youth Investment Trust Corporation
(CYITC) funds to the Office of the Deputy Mayor for Education (DME) for
out-of-school-time programming; and
- Investing
$1.3 billion for school modernization over 6 years to ensure that schools
in line for modernization under established, defined criteria are budgeted
for necessary improvements.
Safer, Stronger DC
DC is committed to
ensuring that those in all neighborhoods feel and are safe, providing an
environment in which residents and businesses can thrive. The FY2018 budget
includes the following investments:
- $11.7 million in
enhancements focused on recruiting and retaining Metropolitan Police Department
(MPD) officers, as well as ensuring that many officers can return to
patrol-related duties. This will be accomplished through: a new public
relations campaign; expansion of the police cadet program; expanded
housing assistance; student loan forgiveness; and further civilianization
of administrative positions;
- $2.3 million for
the creation of a Returning Citizens Portal to be managed by the
Department of Corrections. This will be a physical office offering
services from various agencies to help returning citizens successfully
transition back into the community. Vital post-release services include:
housing, employment, education, health care, job training and placement,
and substance use or mental health;
- $1 million for the
establishment of a nurse triage collaborative pilot program between Fire
and Emergency Medical Services (FEMS) and the Office of Unified
Communications with a goal to improve access to medical services for
callers into 911 by offering nurses who can speak to non-emergency callers
and help them make an appointment at a same-day clinic;
- $20 million for
essential upgrades to 311/911 hardware and software, including major
upgrades to our secondary facility on McMillan Drive, NW;
- $42.2 million for
the purchase of new MPD fleet vehicles;
- $87.7 million for
the purchase of new FEMS fleet vehicles, and
- $45 million for the
construction of a new fleet maintenance facility.
Affordable Housing
My Administration is
committed to producing, preserving, and protecting affordable housing in all 8
wards. This is demonstrated in this budget through the commitment of another
$100 million contribution to the Housing Production Trust Fund. This investment
will continue our shared goal to support grants and loans, thus yielding more
affordable housing for DC families. This budget provides additional funds for
the below projects' affordable housing components:
- $2.5
million for DCRA to hire additional housing inspectors, increase the number of
vacant and blighted properties abated, and improve internal business processes;
- $14
million for the redevelopment of Walter Reed;
- $103
million for the redevelopment of St. Elizabeths; and,
- $85
million for the New Communities initiative.
Pathways to the Middle
Class
Maintaining a strong,
diverse, and resilient city requires that every resident has a fair shot, and a
pathway to the middle class. We accomplish this by supporting our most
vulnerable families and residents; providing job training that leads to real
employment opportunities; and by nurturing our small businesses to ensure their
growth and success. Some ways the FY2018 Budget provides Pathways to the
Middle Class are:
- Continuing the
investment in our youth through Mayor Marion S. Barry Summer Youth Employment
Program by budgeting more than $20 million;
- Serving as a
regional leader by again fully funding the District's share of the WMATA
budget, adding a new express bus line on 14th Street NW in
Wards 1 and 4, and expanding capacity of existing bus service in Wards 7
and 8;
- Ensuring that the
Department of Small and Local Business Development's Certified Business
Enterprise system continues to help our local businesses grow and obtain
government contracts, and work on government funded projects by fully
funding the program with $0.9 million;
- Funding $16.8
million towards the Washington, DC Infrastructure Academy at Saint
Elizabeths’ East Campus. This new facility will focus on occupational
skills training and work-based learning initiatives related to the infrastructure
industry, including utility, energy efficiency, transportation, and
logistics sectors. Industry partners, training providers such as UDC,
labor unions, and trade associations will offer a diverse skills training
allowing DC residents the tools to begin and sustain careers in the
infrastructure industry;
- Implementing
recommendations from the Housing Preservation Strikeforce through $10
million in funding; and,
- Advancing DDOT's
Vision Zero goals through $4.5 million for 45 new Traffic Control
Operators along with 26 new School Crossing Guards.
Health and Human
Services
Investing in the health
and well-being of residents remains a priority in my Administration. Ensuring
residents are able to provide for their families and connecting these families
with valuable care and supportive programs when they need it most, ensures they
have a fair shot at success in the future. The FY2018 budget includes:
- Funding the next
phase of the Homeward DC plan with $15.2 million, including $6.3 million
for the Housing Authority;
- $8.1
million and $16.2 million for FY19 and beyond for TANF reforms beginning
during FY18 to help ensure that basic child enrichment needs are met;
- Supplementing the
Department of Health's budget with $0.9 million to reduce the number of
active opioid users, reduce overdoses and overdose fatalities, and improve
health and economic outcomes for residents with a history of substance
use;
- Funding the Alternatives
to Court Experience (ACE) and Parent and Adolescent Support Services
(PASS) programs with $3.3 million; and
- Providing $1
million for the Joyful Foods initiative.
Government Operations
Building a government
that works for Washingtonians streamlines processes and improves efficiency.
The FY2018 budget supports these improvements by:
- Ensuring
that the District's share of WMATA's operating and capital subsidies are fully
funded;
- Right-sizing
DC’s snow budget with a $3.8 million budget increase;
- Expanding
the Department of Public Works' rush-hour towing, grounds maintenance, and leaf
collection efforts by $3.2 million; and
- Allocating
$1.5 million to the Office of the Chief Technology Officer for a District
Continuity of Operations and Disaster Recovery Task Force which will evaluate District-wide critical applications to prepare and test Disaster Recovery
Plans.
To keep us on track
to build a safer, stronger DC and to ensure that every Washingtonian is on a
pathway to the middle class, my Administration will continue to make
investments in all 8 wards so that every resident can share in our prosperity.
Thank you again for your input and for everything you do to make Washington, DC
the greatest city in the world.You
can view the complete budget here.
Sincerely,
 |
