On Tuesday, D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser will unveil not only her proposed FY-2026 budget for the city, but also her supplemental 2025 budget that will outline where hundreds of millions of dollars in cuts will be made from the current budget.
Delays in turning over the budgets to the D.C. Council have resulted in criticism of the mayor from some, including Council Chair Phil Mendelson who called the delays “disrespectful.”
The mayor blamed the delays on the need to create a supplemental budget for this year, after Congress cut the District off from $410 million in local tax dollars.
The mayor said previously that while the 2026 budget was ready, the supplemental budget caused the slowdown in getting the proposals to the D.C. Council — since both the 2026 and supplemental 2025 budget needed to be turned over together.
With the budget proposals in hand, the council will begin to debate what’s inside them, and Ward 1 Councilmember Brianne Nadeau told WTOP the hope is to vote on the budget by the beginning of August.
“Unfortunately, it allows us to do nothing else before the recess,” Nadeau said.
The current schedule would have the council working past the planned July 15 recess start to vote on the budget.
The city has already implemented a hiring freeze due to the cuts by Congress. It also freezes authorization for overtime pay, raises, bonuses and promotions.
The supplemental budget will include more dramatic cuts that need council approval, which could include furloughing employees, and the possible temporary closures of some D.C. government facilities.
The city has raised concerns to Congress that the loss of money mid-budget could lead to cuts of police officers, teachers and first responders.
According to the city, 75% of the budget is made up of local revenues; the remaining 25% comes from federal funding that states also receive.
The Senate has already passed a measure that would undo the cuts created by Congress, but the House hasn’t taken it up for a vote yet, despite calls from President Donald Trump to do so.
Cuts are also expected in the 2026 budget as the city plans for a $1 billion drop in tax revenues over the next four years due to federal job losses and the continued impact of post-COVID-19 remote work.
D.C.’s response to dramatic congressional cuts to Medicaid is also expected to be revealed in the proposed 2026 budget.
However, one big ticket item is anticipated to be the first installment of $89 million toward the more than $1 billion that D.C. is expected to pay out over the next several years for the redevelopment of the RFK Stadium campus. The money is part of a proposed deal to bring the Washington Commanders back to the District.
In announcing the deal last month, Bowser revealed a July 15 deadline for the council to sign off on the deal. Nadeau said that the deadline will not be met by the council.
“July 15 is out of the question. It will be in the middle of the budget. There’s no way,” she said.
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