photo by Victoria Pickering
From the Mayor’s Office:
“Mayor Muriel Bowser delivered her Fiscal Year 2025 (FY25) Budget and Financial Plan, A Fair Shot: Strategic Investments and Shared Sacrifice, to the Council of the District of Columbia as part of the District’s annual budget process. The FY25 budget represents strategic investments and shared sacrifices to address a confluence of post-COVID factors and drive economic growth.
“Never bet against Washington, DC. We are a resilient city. We never give up. We know how to make a strong comeback. But our wins are also not accidental. We’re smart, creative, and strategic. That is the spirit of my fiscal 2025 budget. This is a smart budget, it’s a responsible budget, but most important, this is a budget that will keep DC the best city in the world,” said Mayor Bowser. “I know that by continuing to work together – by striking the right balance between investments and sacrifice and by prioritizing investments that will kick off more revenues for the District – we will get back to the economic growth levels that have fueled the renaissance of modern Washington.”
The FY25 budget and financial plan is made up of $21 billion in operating funds and $11.8 billion in capital improvement funds. The post-COVID economic factors include: slower revenue growth; the end of federal stimulus funding; significantly higher operating costs, including an additional $200 million in WMATA funding; and the impacts of the remote work environment. The District’s budget is also unique because DC Government is required to have a balanced financial plan across both the current fiscal year and the upcoming four years of the financial plan. The result of these factors is a widening gap across the financial plan that requires prudent investments now to change the trajectory of our out-year revenue estimates.
Mayor Bowser shared her guiding principles for creating the budget: Read More
601 F Street, NW
First Mayor Bowser tweeted: “We intend to keep our end of the bargain and enforce the leases with Monumental that require the Wizards and Capitals to play at the arena through 2047 and the Mystics to play in Congress Heights through 2037.
If Monumental goes ahead and breaks its leases, the short-term impact will be tough, not only on the neighborhood, but on our entire city. But let me be clear: The city owns the land under the Capital One Arena and will own the building, should Monumental Sports break its lease.”
Monumental then tweeted: “We’ve been clear w/ @MayorBowser that we will honor agreements to play at the arenas. Caps & Wiz have the right to pay off the bond in 2027 & end the COA lease early – MSE plans to exercise that right. And the Mystics will play at ESA through 2037 (unless city agrees otherwise).” Read More
From the Mayor’s Office:
“Mayor Muriel Bowser was joined by Acting Deputy Mayor for Public Safety and Justice Lindsey Appiah, Metropolitan Police Department Chief Robert J. Contee, III, and members of her Administration as she introduced new Safer, Stronger DC legislation as well as a Mayor’s Order directing deputy mayors to submit recommendations for a whole-of-government approach to crime reduction. The new Safer, Stronger DC legislation comes the week after Mayor Bowser held a public safety summit where she brought together local and federal public safety officials and partners to discuss what is working, what is not working, and what needs to change to improve public safety in DC. The package of legislation will address identified gaps in the District’s public safety and justice ecosystem.
“We have heard from our public safety partners and from members of the community about the gaps that exist in our public safety ecosystem – this package of legislation will address those gaps,” said Mayor Bowser. “This is about making sure we have the tools we need to build a safer, stronger DC and protect the overwhelming majority of people in our city who are doing the right thing and who just want to be able to enjoy our beautiful city and our fantastic neighborhoods.”
The commonsense legislation Mayor Bowser is sending the DC Council will: Read More
From the Mayor’s Office:
“Today, Mayor Muriel Bowser and the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) announced a Focused Patrol and Community Engagement Policing Strategy, which will utilize data to identify specific areas in each police district and employ focused patrols for proactive policing, community engagement, and problem solving within a small geographical area. The MPD members assigned to these areas will proactively engage in business and building checks, assist in traffic enforcement, collaborate with the community, and identify area-specific issues with police officials to problem solve and determine necessary solutions to community concerns and crime. Read More
From the Mayor’s Office:
“Mayor Muriel Bowser, the Office of Cable Television, Film, Music, and Entertainment (OCTFME), and the Office of the Deputy Mayor for Planning and Economic Development (DMPED) kicked off Jazz in Bloom, a series of concerts at Union Station that will take place throughout the spring. DC’s Comeback Plan outlines a three-pronged approach to the transformation and revitalization of downtown: fill the space, change the space, and bring the people. Read More
photo by Adam Fagen
From the Mayor’s Office:
“Today, Mayor Muriel Bowser presented her Fiscal Year 2024 (FY24) Budget and Financial Plan to the Council of the District of Columbia as part of the District’s annual budget process. The $19.7 billion FY24 budget includes investments that are strategic and focused on ensuring a strong and equitable comeback for Washington, DC.
“The Fiscal Year 2024 Fair Shot Budget is being delivered at a critical juncture for our city. This budget reflects many tough choices, but we are also fortunate that even in tight times, the District remains well-resourced and able to continue delivering world-class programs and services,” said Mayor Bowser. “As I have said before, when we work together, there is nothing that we cannot take on. The FY 2024 Budget makes the necessary investments to promote and sustain the District’s comeback by unlocking the full potential of our residents, our neighborhoods, and our businesses.”
Below are highlights of investments and initiatives in Mayor Bowser’s FY24 budget proposal. Read More
photo by Eric P.
From the Mayor’s Office:
“Mayor Muriel Bowser announced that the District of Columbia secured $20 million in new funding from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to continue its path towards a climate resilient future. These federal funds will support the District’s effort to endure rising sea levels and more severe natural hazards. This work is timely and urgent as the District has seen increased rainfall and more frequent storms in recent years. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) has forecasted above-average hurricane activity along the east coast for several years running. Read More
From the Mayor’s Office:
“Today, Mayor Muriel Bowser and Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) Chief Robert J. Contee III announced the Homicide Reduction Partnership, a collaborative effort to reduce violent crime through strategic prevention and focused enforcement. With this new partnership, MPD will focus resources and intelligence-led policing strategies in collaboration with local and federal law enforcement and criminal justice partners, DC government agencies, and community partners. Read More
Mayor Bowser posted the statement above: “The next chapter for the Washington Commanders should be a return to winning, right here in DC.”
Charles Allen wrote: “Regardless of a name change, building an NFL stadium at the RFK site would be a bad idea – for the taxpayers and for the residents. We can do so much better for housing, jobs, parks, & the Anacostia River.”
Stay tuned.
photo by Joanna Hiatt Kim
From the Mayor’s Office yesterday “in response to the drawings of swastikas found at Union Station, Mayor Muriel Bowser released the following statement”:
“This morning, commuters in the District of Columbia were met with the disturbing sight of swastikas drawn on our historic Union Station. This symbol of hate displayed in our city is both shocking and unsettling, particularly on the heels of International Holocaust Remembrance Day. Read More
