Mayor Bowser Presents Fiscal Year 2024 Budget Proposal

Mayor Muriel Bowser presented her Fiscal Year 2024 (FY24) Budget and Financial Plan to the Council of the District of Columbia as part of the District’s annual budget process. The $19.7 billion FY24 budget includes investments that are strategic and focused on ensuring a strong and equitable comeback for Washington, DC.

“The Fiscal Year 2024 Fair Shot Budget is being delivered at a critical juncture for our city. This budget reflects many tough choices, but we are also fortunate that even in tight times, the District remains well-resourced and able to continue delivering world-class programs and services,” said Mayor Bowser.  “As I have said before, when we work together, there is nothing that we cannot take on. The FY 2024 Budget makes the necessary investments to promote and sustain the District’s comeback by unlocking the full potential of our residents, our neighborhoods, and our businesses.”

Below are highlights of investments and initiatives in Mayor Bowser’s FY24 budget proposal.

DC’s Comeback

What we’re doing now:

• $3.4M Small & Medium Business Growth Fund
• $4M Commercial Property Acquisition Fund 
• $10M Vitality Fund 
• $1.4M Business retention, expansion and attraction 
• $598K in recurring funds for participating businesses in Creative and Open Space Modernization (COSM) 
• $1.5M DC Family Fun Destinations 

New investments in FY 2024: 

• $3M for Great Streets and Small Business Fund 
• $1.5M in additional funds for participating businesses in Creative and Open Space Modernization (COSM) 
• Increase the available Housing in Downtown abatement from $6.8M to $41M in FY28 
• $79M to unlock Fletcher Johnson, Poplar Point, and bring a full-service grocery to East Capitol Gateway 
• $9.8M to fund improvements at Farragut Square 
• $6M for the Commercial Property Acquisition Fund 

Education

Major Capital Investments

• $110M to turn the old Banneker school into the new Center City Middle School 
• $77M to renovate and expand the new MacArthur High School in Ward 3
• $35M to renovate the Winston Education Campus 
• $31M to add 3 new PACE school modernizations – Excel Academy, Beers Elementary, and Bruce Monroe @ Parkview Elementary
• $2.1B to continue the modernizations or expansions of 40 other schools including PACE and non-PACE projects, including cafeteria renovations or buildouts for Plummer Elementary School, Hardy Middle School, and Coolidge High School
• $90M over six years for DCPS to preserve and maintain school facilities through small capital investments in HVAC, life safety needs, athletic field repairs and upgrades, and ADA compliance $34M over six years DCPS to improve information technology systems within schools for improved bandwidth and connectivity, complete our refreshment of smart board technology systems in classrooms, and upgrade school data interfaces for families 
• $6M to support strengthening schools’ classroom safety hardware

Expanding and Improving Public Housing:

• $139M for New Communities Initiative at Barry Farm, Park Morton, and Northwest One, including 735 new public housing replacement units
• $115M to rehabilitate and modernize public housing units managed by the DC Housing Authority 
• $68M for comprehensive rehabilitation of housing properties in alignment with independent needs assessment
• $25M to prioritize urgent repairs in areas such as electrical, HVAC, plumbing, and roofing
• $8.4M to enhance fire safety systems, including detectors, alarm systems, and suppression 
• $3.7M to enhance security systems
• $2.1M for focused mold remediation and other efforts to reduce childhood asthma risk
• $7.4M for staffing to maximize the effectiveness of these new investments