Numerous changes get made to DC’s budget between the time that the Mayor releases his proposal and the time the Council takes the final vote. In fact, it was reported Friday that Chairman Kwame Brown is considering a new revenue source ‘ eliminating the tax exemption on interest from out-of-state bonds ‘ as a way to remove the proposal to raise income taxes on residents earning more than $200,000. There also are important discussions over cuts that may get restored, such as in homeless services.
No one will know for sure if the new tax proposal will be considered or how much homeless services will be restored, until Chairman Brown releases the Council’s budget proposal. However, in the past, the budget has often been released in the middle of the night, just hours before the Council takes its vote. That leaves residents in the dark about potentially significant changes to services or to taxes.
That is why on Friday, over 40 organizations and individuals sent a letter to Chairman Brown, asking him to release the final budget proposal that will be voted on by the Council at least 24 hours before the scheduled vote. This would give DC residents and Council a chance to review the changes being made to the Mayor’s proposal and weigh in on any changes that were made.
You can read a copy of the letter below. We haven’t heard from Chairman Brown yet, but we’ll be sure to update this post when we do.
The Honorable Kwame Brown May 20, 2011
Chairman, Council of the District of Columbia
1350 Pennsylvania Avenue, N.W.
Washington, DC 20004
Dear Chairman Brown,
We the undersigned organizations and individuals are writing to ask that you release the final budget proposal that will be considered by the full DC Council at least 24 hours before the May 25 budget vote. This would give both DC residents and other Council members the time needed to review and understand the final budget proposal.
As you know, the budget passed by the DC Council impacts every District resident. The Council typically makes significant changes to the Mayor’s proposed budget, and many of the most important decisions are made after the final public hearings on the budget. In recent years, the final budget that comes before the Council has not been released to the public or even to the DC Council until just a few hours before the vote. This leaves residents little time to understand and respond to important issues on how limited resources will be used to meet a diverse set of needs in the District.
This year, more than most, the District’s leaders face a number of decisions over how to preserve services in the midst of a serious revenue shortfall. Because the Council votes just one time on the Budget Request Act ‘ the main legislation dictating how funds will be spent ‘ the reality is that almost nothing can be changed to the budget you will be voting on after the vote on May 25th.
We ask that all FY 2012 budget documents that will be reviewed and/or acted on by the full Council be made available to the public at least 24 hours prior to the start of the May 25th legislative meeting to take action on the budget. This includes, but is not limited to, the Committee of the Whole Budget mark-up report, the Budget Support Act, and the Budget Request Act.
The public deserves the right to review how the Council plans to allocate resources that affect important services more than just a few hours before the vote is taken.
Sincerely,
Organizations
Arc of DC
Back on My Feet
Bread for the City
Capital Area Asset Builders
Children’s Law Center
Coalition for Nonprofit Housing and Economic Development
DC Alliance of Youth Advocates
DC Behavioral Health Association
DC Coalition Against Domestic Violence
DC Environmental Network
DC Fiscal Policy Institute
DC for Democracy
DC Hunger Solutions
DC Jobs Council
DC Learns
DC LISC
DC Open Government Coalition
DC Statehood Green Party
DC Women’s Agenda
District Alliance for Safe Housing, Inc. (DASH)
Foster & Adoptive Parent Advocacy Center (FAPAC)
Greater Greater Washington
Healthy Families/Thriving Communities Collaborative Council
Homeless Children’s Playtime Project
Jews United for Justice
Legal Aid Society of the District of Columbia
Miriam’s Kitchen
Nonprofit Roundtable
Sasha Bruce Youthwork
Save Our Safety Net DC
SOME, Inc. (So Others Might Eat)
Positive Force DC
Quality Trust for Individuals with Disabilities
Think Twice Before You Slice
Washington Legal Clinic for the Homeless
We Are Family
Whitman-Walker Health
Wider Opportunities for Women
Individuals
Miriam Savad, Ward 1
Robert Vinson Brannum, President, D.C. Federation of Civic Associations, Inc.
Robert Bettmann, DC Advocate for the Arts
Mary McCall, Ward 1
Marina Streznewski, Ward 2
Kathryn Baer, Ward 6
