We’ve spent the past two weeks poring through budget books and spreadsheets to understand the story of Mayor Bowser’s proposed fiscal year (FY) 2020 budget. And we’re eager to share what we found with you!
The DCFPI Budget Toolkit is ready for you, with detailed budget analyses for the things you care about – from education to job training to housing – and ways you can get involved now to make the budget better.
The proposed budget includes some notable expansions—such as in housing and school mental health services—but it stands out more for what’s missing and the limited progress it makes toward creating a more equitable DC. This budget cuts funding for many schools in Wards 7 and 8, and provides no resources to help families get off the housing wait list. It also fails to put DC on a path to ending homelessness, and continues to impose healthcare access barriers for immigrants.
Here’s what you’ll find in the Toolkit:
- Detailed Analysis of Key Issue Areas in the Budget: The Toolkit includes detailed looks at what’s in the proposed FY 2020 budget for early childhood development, PreK-12 education, affordable housing, homeless services, health care, employment and training, and Interim Disability Assistance (IDA).
- Tips for Understanding the Budget and Getting Involved: The Toolkit includes a timeline of the budget process and how to get involved, as well as primers to understand how the city sets its budget, how it raises revenues, and how schools are financed.
We hope you find the DCFPI FY 2020 Budget Toolkit useful, and we look forward to seeing you at a budget hearing soon!
