Proposed Budget - Fiscal Year 2024
On March 22, District of Columbia Mayor Muriel Bowser released a $19.7 billion total gross funds budget, a decrease of $266.5 million, or 1.3 percent, compared to the fiscal 2023 approved budget. The Local Funds portion of the budget totals $10.6 billion, a decrease of $110.3 million, or 1.0 percent, from the fiscal 2023 approved budget. Estimated general fund revenues for fiscal 2024 are projected at $11.1 billion, an increase of 0.04 percent over the current year while the Local Funds portion is projected to be $9.7 billion, a decrease of 0.3 percent from fiscal 2023. The projected ending general fund balance for fiscal 2024 is $3.7 billion and the total cash reserves are $1.6 billion. The proposed budget includes various policy initiatives that increase general fund revenue in fiscal 2024 by a net $24.1 million. These initiatives include implementation of a new sales and use tax compliance initiative; three income tax compliance initiatives; and implementation of an enhanced automated traffic enforcement program, funded and approved as part of the current year budget.
Proposed Budget Highlights
The mayor’s “Fair Shot” budget continues efforts to provide relief, recovery, and growth for all residents and businesses, including expanding affordable housing, academic acceleration, increased access to quality child care, addressing public safety, and support for businesses and residents.
Education
- $145.0 million to support a 5.05 percent increase to the foundation of the Uniform Per Student Funding Formula, which funds the District’s public schools and public charter local educational agencies.
- $116.0 million to support raising the wages of teachers in both public and public charter schools.
- $20.0 million to continue supporting schools facing pandemic recovery.
- $2.95 million for summer recreation activities and accelerated learning opportunities for students recovering from the impacts of the pandemic.
- $1.6 million to begin planning and implementation of a Teacher Apprenticeship Program to train future teachers in the District.
- Raises the eligibility for the child care subsidy from 250 percent of the federal poverty line to 300 percent.
Housing Affordability
- $115.0 million to rehabilitate and modernize public housing units managed by the District’s Housing Authority.
- $31.0 million increase, for a total of $100.0 million, for the Housing Production Trust Fund.
- $8.0 million to increase available down payment assistance through the Housing Purchase Assistance Program.
- $13.0 million to support 600 families in Career Mobility Action Plan (Career MAP), a pilot designed to remove barriers that families confront as they pursue sustainable employment.
- $1.0 million to expand the Strong Families, Strong Futures program and provide more residents with direct cash assistance.
Economic Development and Transportation
- $3.0 million for the Great Streets and Small Business Fund.
- $6.0 million in the Commercial Property Acquisition Fund.
- $5.8 million to expand Capital Bikeshare operations.
- $258.0 million in the capital budget to redesign dangerous roadways and improve traffic safety.
- $148.0 million in the capital budget for new or rehabilitated trail segments.
- $114.0 million in the capital budget to continue building bus-only lanes and other bus priority treatments to make bus travel faster and more reliable.
Health and Human Services
- $42.0 million to support rental assistance through the Family Re-Housing Stabilization Program.
- $24.4 million to provide increased Medicaid rates for behavioral health services.
- $2.2 million to support homeless prevention programming and outreach and $1.7 million to support housing case management services for behavioral health service clients.
- $900,000 to buy down $90.0 million of medical debt for approximately 90,000 residents.
- $550,000 to provide free dental services for seniors.
Public Safety
- $5.4 million to continue investments in recruitment and conversion bonuses for new police hires and $1.2 million for expanded educational incentives.
- $2.1 million and 18 additional staff to support civilianization efforts, reducing the need for sworn officers to cover civilian roles and duties.
- $277.0 million for a reimagined treatment and residential facility built as an annex to the Correctional Treatment Facility, providing a new, modernized facility for 1,000 inmates.
- $4.0 million to support high-quality education services of inmates with special education needs.
- $6.7 million for grants for victims of sexual assault and other victim services.
- $1.2 million to launch a new DC Paramedic School.
Government Services
- $2.5 million to create a new recruitment and retention fund for hard to fill government positions.
- $4.5 million for a new one-stop web portal for resident services.
- $4.2 million to enhance cybersecurity protections through enhanced device security and proactive vulnerability remediation.
American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA)
- The proposed budget includes $61.3 million from ARPA across multiple funding areas including governmental direction and support ($3.7 million), public safety and justice ($13.5 million), public education ($12.8 million), human support services ($4.2 million), and operations and infrastructure ($27.1 million).