District of Columbia Mayor Adrian Fenty’s $5.7 billion fiscal year 2008 budget, unveiled Friday, ramps up funding for public charter schools and new police officers, sets the mayor’s school takeover plan into motion, raises one fee and eats up a chunk of the city’s reserves.
The proposal, which now goes to the D.C. Council, is the city’s 11th straight balanced budget. Even with a cooling economy, the District’s chief bean counter said, D.C. is in good shape financially.
“When we went [to Wall Street] in early December, they wanted to be sure that the city would remain fiscally prudent, economically viable and financially responsible in our budget policies,” said Chief Financial Officer Natwar Gandhi. “Indeed this budget sends that message.”
The plan increases per-pupil spending in the D.C. Public Schools from $8,002 to $8,322. But it also cuts $25.6 million from the DCPS budget by reducing projected enrollment by 3,033 students. And it sets aside $30.6 million for state education functions that would be transferred out of DCPS if Fenty’s school takeover plan is adopted.
Spending on the District’s 57 charter schools, meanwhile, would skyrocket by $54.3 million over 2007, to cover a 2,984-student increase. Library funding would jump by 12 percent.
“We have put our money where our mouth is and funded the school system at a level that will enable it to not only excel, but also enables us to put into effect the legislation that is currently before the council,” Fenty said.
Fenty’s budget also lays out $21 million for 300 new police officers. And it proposes an increase in the E-911 fee, a monthly tax paid on every phone line, from 76 cents to $1.55, to finance emergency communications infrastructure.
Council Member Phil Mendelson immediately slammed the proposed fee increase as a “direct hit to the pocketbooks of those who live and do business in the District, plain and simple.”
In human services and health care, the budget proposes $4.9 million to increase adoption and guardianship subsidies, $900,000 to establish a new Office of Disability Rights and $600,000 to improve HIV surveillance and testing.
“We have large pockets of need,” said Council Member David Catania. “We have the resources to address it.”
While the plan doesn’t raise taxes, it does consume about $600 million of the $1.5 billion rainy day fund.
Proposed in the 2008 budget
» $2 million to provide grants to small and midsized arts organizations
» $2.3 million to support Washington Performing Arts Society, Source Theater, Woolly Mammoth Theater and the Lincoln Theater
» $2 million for fire and EMS personal protective equipment
» $1.5 million to train EMTs as paramedics
» $900,000 to enhance arson investigation
» $2.1 million increase for maintenance of D.C. Jail
» $3.2 million increase for HIV/AIDS prevention and policy
» $12.2 million increase for St. Elizabeths Hospital
» $2.5 million to support the National Building Museum, National Maritime Heritage Foundation, CityDance, Peaceoholics, Positive Choices, DC Scores, KidSave, Hoop Dreams Scholarship Fund and Youth Baseball
» $8.1 million increase for D.C. Circulator, Metro EXTRA rapid bus, Anacostia Streetcar and Georgetown Blue Bus
» $1.2 million for an anti-litter campaign
