Dear Budget-Minded Friends,
The FY 2021 Budget and Financial Plan reflects the District of Columbia’s progressive values and envisions a more just and equitable future by investing in policies, programs, and services that tackle the root causes of racial injustice and work to alleviate its symptoms. The District simultaneously faces the greatest public health crisis in living memory, a social reckoning on the compounded effects of generations of racial injustice, an unprecedented number of residents facing job loss, businesses everywhere on the brink of financial ruin, and declining tax revenues. The FY 2021 Budget and Financial Plan recognizes that the District has a tough road ahead, but a recovery that gets us back to “normal” is not good enough. The FY 2021 Budget and Financial Plan guides the District of Columbia towards both financial recovery and racial equity.
The Council’s Budget Office is issuing a seven-part series of reports that highlights some of the most important enhancements that the Council funded in the FY 2021 Budget and Financial Plan. These reports explain and contextualize the Council’s budget enhancements.
On September 10th, we released the first in the series – Introduction to the FY 2021 Budget.
This first report discusses the dual impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic and historic job losses on the District. Together, they have laid bare the ubiquity and perniciousness of racial inequity in the United States. The report discusses the health and economic disparities that have been so apparent and deeply felt in the context of COVID-19. It also discusses the inequitable structural conditions that exacerbate health disparities.
Stay tuned for the release of the complete series of reports, which will be sent out over the Council’s e-mail system and will be published on www.dccouncilbudget.com:
Criminal Justice Reform – Monday, September 14
Investing in Education – Wednesday, September 16
Social Determinants of Health – Friday, September 18
Economic Justice – Monday, September 21
Inclusive Governance – Wednesday, September 23
Revenue and Resource Reallocation – Friday, September 25
As always, my team and I are available to answer any questions you may have.
Thank you for your assistance and support,
Jen Budoff