Yesterday, seven members of the Council voted down an amendment I offered to dedicate the District's unexpected revenue for

2014 towards addressing the achievement gap between minority and white students. The District has the largest achievement gap in the nation, and my amendment would have allocated new resources to poor students in the District's school funding formula. Many other states and school systems which use a per student formula offer an additional weight to students from low-income households. Currently, the District does not. Amazingly, after lobbying by the Mayor, the amendment failed by 1 vote. Where is the political will for public education?

David Catania Councilmember, At-Large Chair, Committee on Education

Watch video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W0QM12zckjw

In addition to previous Fiscal Year 2014 Budget successes (http://www.kenyanmcduffie.com/mcduffie-secures-major-funding-for-critical-ward-5priorities/), this week, Councilmember McDuffie secured funding through the budget surplus to resurface Taft Field and the Edgewood Field. Through the Budget Support Act, the Councilmember was able to allocate $1.5 million for the Taft Field and $1 million for the capital improvements to the Edgewood Field. Additionally, Councilmember McDuffie worked with his Council colleagues to send $4 million in surplus funds to the Community College of the District of Columbias Bertie Backus Campus for capital improvements, and roll back the District's sales tax rate from 6 percent to 5.75 percent. (http://content.govdelivery.com/accounts/DCWASH/bulletins/8162ae)

Grosso Priorities in FY2014 Budget

Councilmember Grosso is pleased that his top priorities including education, increased funds of $4.75 million for rental assistance under the Local Rent Supplement Program, his newly launched Safety First initiative which will include $480,000 to fund a report on speed cameras and an examination of each camera's "nexus with safety," his environmental effort to improve our tree canopy, dedicated funding for the arts and $4.3 million for the renovation of UDC's campus at the former Bertie Backus Middle School were all included in the FY2014 budget passed on Wednesday, June 26, 2013. Grosso's "Safety First" initiative was started out of concern that the District Department of Transportation (DDOT) did not include "safety" as a performance measure during budget hearings. His first efforts to find out how best to improve safety, especially for pedestrians began with a requirement that all speed cameras have a nexus with safety. He also required DDOT to place Traffic Control Officers at the top ten most dangerous intersections in the District. Grosso worked with Councilmember Jack Evans to ensure that there is dedicated funding of $4.5

million to increase grants for the arts and the development of an arts economic development "creative economy" model for the District. He is pleased that dedicated funding will kick in for 2015 and that his study of economic impact of the arts was also included.

Dear Friends, This week the Council of the District of Columbia approved a balanced $10.7 Billion dollar Fiscal 2014 Budget that funds operations of over 100 District agencies, of which 40% of the budget will be allocated to Health and Human Services, followed by Education (20%), Public Safety (11.5%), and the remainder for Public Works, Government Operations and Financing. This balanced budget and positive revenue forecasts highlight the strong health of the Districts finances. That is why the Council approved lowering the sales tax from 6.0% to 5.75%, which takes effect Oct. 1, 2013. I also voted to bring tax relief to all DC taxpayers by increasing the standardized tax deduction for individual filers from $2,000.00 to $3,200.00 and joint filers from $4,000.00 to $6,400.00. However with regret, this proposal failed. I am pleased that my advocacy for additional dollars in the Local Rent Supplement Program was successful. An additional $3 million dollars was added to the LRSP. Additionally, due to unexpected revenue enhancements, the Council funded the following significant programs: $11 million to increase early childhood program infant and toddler slots by 200. $4.5 million for Arts grants, including school based arts programming. $4.3 million to renovate UDC Community College Bertie Backus campus. $4 million to provide schools with technology equipment. $4 million to expand adult literacy, career, and technology education. $4 million for the Film D.C. Economic Incentive Fund. $3.1 million for all students to ride Metro free. $2 million to increase subsidies for Office of Aging program grantees. $480,000 to study the automated traffic enforcement program.

An interactive website of the proposed Fiscal 2014 Budget with information on agency spending is available here- http://cfo.dc.gov/node/289642. Please note; the site does not reflect the few changes made and submitted to the Mayor for approval. Once agreement is reached between the Mayor and the Council, the budget is adopted and transmitted to the President of the United States for submission to Congress for approval. Congress must approve the District's budget as part of one of the 12 annual federal appropriations bills.

As always, if you have any concern or issue you wish to discuss, please contact me at abonds@dccouncil.us or call 202-724-8064. Warm regards, Anita

(http://content.govdelivery.com/accounts/DCWASH/bulletins/816234)