A reminder to District Dime readers that the DCFPI FY 2013 Budget Toolkit is live! Today we added two parts that dig deep into Mayor Gray’s proposed revenue initiatives and the education budget.
A snapshot from the revenue toolkit:
- The proposed FY 2013 budget includes $90 million in additional revenues. Gray’s proposal largely does not raise taxes on residents or businesses, with most of the new revenues coming from improved collection and compliance efforts.
- The revenue increases include $36 million from enhanced efforts to ensure compliance with existing taxes, fees, and fines. Another $31 million would come from expansion of automated traffic enforcement. The budget would generate five million dollars by extending hours of alcohol sales
- The budget would raise $12 million by limited required inflation adjustments in three tax benefits: the standard deduction and personal exemption in the income tax and the homestead deduction in the property tax.
- The proposed budget includes two tax cuts that would go into effect if revenues rise above expected levels. This includes restoring a tax break for interest on out-of-state municipal bonds and reducing the commercial property tax rate.
A snapshot from the education toolkit:
- The proposed FY 2013 budget increases base per-pupil funding by two percent for both DC public schools and DC public charter schools.
- Projects a four percent enrollment increase in DCPS (when comparing audited figures with projectsions) and a six percent increase in charter schools
- Includes a $5.7 million funding cut for child care, which is apparently incorrect. According to OSSE, federal funding for child care is flat-funded, but $1 million more in local funding will be specifically used towards 75 infant toddler slots. Both after school and summer school programs will see a funding cut in FY 2013
- Will cause many individual DC public schools to stretch dollars to meet needs of a growing student body and a larger special education population. The costs of core school expenses, including teacher compensation, will rise faster than the two percent per-pupil funding increase. As a result, some smaller schools may lose librarians, and class sizes may increase at middle schools and high schools.
