DC Mayor Muriel Bowser's budget proposal focuses on public safety, economic recovery

DC Mayor Muriel Bowser presented her 2023 budget proposal to the DC Council on Wednesday. The $19.5 billion plan makes increased investments in public safety, traffic improvements, economic recovery and city services. 

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These are a few of the highlights from the proposal:

Public Safety

- $30 million for hiring, recruitment and retention incentives to get 4,000 sworn officers at the Metropolitan Police Department

- $1.1 million for a pilot program to provide up to five years in rental assistance and matched savings for those at risk of violence

- $7.3 million for grants for victims of sexual assault and other victim services including crisis intervention, advocacy and trauma-informed mental health services 

- $6 million to support violence prevention and diversion among at-risk, non-incarcerated youth, including $350K for dedicated bilingual credible messengers and $3.9 million for expanded out-of-school-time programming 

- $251 million to build a new annex to the District’s Correctional Treatment Facility (CTF), a step toward eventually closing the aging Central Detention Facility (CDF) and moving all inmates to the CTF. The CIP includes additional capital investments of $25 million to maintain safe, secure and humane conditions for inmates at the CDF until the new CTF annex can be completed

Health & Human Services

- $11.5 million to retain direct support professionals by raising wages over a three-year period 

- $114.6 million across two years for modernizations and renovations of permanent and temporary supportive housing and shelter services 

- $750K to enforce a new ban on flavored tobacco sales 

Ending Homelessness

- $31 million to invest in Homeward DC that will add permanent supportive housing vouchers for 500 more individuals, 260 more families and 10 more youth as well as other outreach and prevention services so that the District can end chronic homelessness 

Education

- $18 million to provide stability to schools through the Pandemic Supplement fund 

- $43.6 million to replace aging HVACs and boilers in schools 

- $434 million over the next six years to construct and modernize parks, recreation facilities and libraries

- $5 million to extend out-of-school time grant opportunities

- $3.9 million to expand out-of-school-time recreation programs provided by DPR and community-based organizations, focusing on athletics, visual arts, performing arts, e-sports, culinary arts and more 

- $6.4 million to expand the Marion Barry Summer Youth Employment Program 

Transportation

- $200 million over six years for longer-term streetscape projects to redesign the District's most dangerous roads and intersections 

- $36 million over six years to add 10 new miles of protected bike lanes per year to the District’s bike lane network 

- $9.4 million to support 100+ newly created full-time school crossing guard positions to ensure coverage of all schools in need of guards 

- $9.4 million to add 170 new speed cameras 

- $752K to triple DPW’s vehicle booting team to locate and immobilize vehicles with outstanding safety citations 

- $57 million to complete the K Street Transitway, providing protected bus and bike lanes through downtown 

- $15 million over six years to continue expanding Capital Bikeshare

- $18.5 million for a new pedestrian and bicycle bridge to Kingman Island 

Housing Affordability 

- $110 million to rehabilitate or replace more than 1,500 units of public housing over three years as well as $219 million to bring back public housing units at Barry Farm, Park Morton, Bruce Monroe and Northwest One

- $120 million in rent and utility assistance across two years

- $26 million to help low-income first-time homebuyers with down payment and closing cost assistance 

Economic Recovery 

- $22 million to add fresh food access points east of the river 

- $3.4 million to help small and medium business growth 

- $1.5 million to pilot activations in vacant commercial spaces 

City Services

- $2.4 million for 28 additional 911 operations staff to improve service quality and performance 

- $4.7 million over two years to add 50 firefighter/EMTs & firefighter/paramedics

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For a full list of highlights from the mayor's budget proposal, click here.