The D.C. Council has passed its fiscal 2027 budget, sending it to the mayor and then Congress, but a fight with the city鈥檚 chief financial officer is far from settled.
After restoring cuts from Mayor Muriel Bowser鈥檚 original proposal, the council is relying in part on $150 million from reserve funds to help balance the plan.
Chief Financial Officer Glen Lee warned in a letter earlier this week that using that money could make the budget unbalanced, raising concerns about the District鈥檚 long-term financial stability.
“Should the Council persist with approving a budget that uses reserves to support spending, the Council would be approving an unbalanced budget and financial plan,” Lee said in the letter.
Council Chair Phil Mendelson argued the city is dipping into only a small portion of its reserves.
“We’re taking a tiny fraction of the reserves to support spending in FY27 that will leave our reserves well above what the gold standard is for reserve funds,” Mendelson said.
Ward 6 Council member Charles Allen said the move still leaves the District in strong financial shape.
“I’m convinced that the $150 (million) from this reserve fund leaves us with more than 60 days cash on hand, incredibly healthy bottom line for the District and our finances and our obligations,” Allen said.
Some council members raised concerns about relying on reserves.
“I’m a little bit more comfortable that there was an amendment moved today to make sure that if there’s a budget surplus, the reserves will be replenished as the first and foremost order of operations, but we have to have a responsible budget that sets us up for success, not just this year, but over the financial plan,” Ward 2 Council member Brooke Pinto said those funds.
And the public nature of the budget fight, Ward 5 Council member Zachary Parker said, could attract more unwanted attention from Congress.
“We should be mindful of the complicated political position the District is in on the Hill, and I worry that having this battle play out in the media or with letters flying back and forth spells doom for the District overall,” he said.
If the CFO refuses to certify the budget, it could trigger legal and procedural challenges as the plan moves forward for federal review.
The city administrator warned when the mayor鈥檚 budget was proposed that the District would need a $1.1 billion increase in revenue just to maintain current services.
The council ultimately restored about $400 million in cuts, including funding for housing vouchers, childcare assistance and legal services.
Open primaries funding approved
Included in the budget鈥檚 passage was funding to implement a major elections change voters approved but have not yet seen put into place.
Lawmakers signed off on funding to implement semi-open primaries, completing Initiative 83 after voters passed the measure in 2024. Until now, only ranked choice voting, the other key piece of the initiative, had been funded and used.
The change will allow voters with no party affiliation to choose a party ballot in primary elections and participate in candidate races, opening the process to tens of thousands of independents who are currently shut out of primaries that often decide elections in Democrat-dominated D.C.
Council member Christina Henderson, who introduced the amendment, said the move reflects years of effort.
“This has been a long time coming,” she said.
Advocates said because primaries are funded with taxpayer dollars, all voters should have a say.
Lisa Rice, co-founder and CEO of Grow Democracy D.C., welcomed the vote.
“I am beyond thrilled. I’m so excited. I’m pumped. I’m excited. I’m over the moon,” Rice said.
But not everyone on the council was on board. Mendelson voted against the change, saying political parties should control their own nomination process.
“It doesn’t make sense to me that non-Democrats would choose who the Democratic nominee is,” he said.
With the funding now approved, semi-open primaries are expected to be in place for the 2028 election cycle.
Get breaking news and daily headlines delivered to your email inbox by signing up here.
漏 2026 海角精品黑料. All Rights Reserved. This website is not intended for users located within the European Economic Area.
