Illustration by John Woolley
Mayor Muriel Bowser surveyed D.C. residents about their priorities for the city’s budget during two public forums held on Feb. 18 and 20, marking the first step in D.C.’s annual budget process. D.C. council members are entering the proceedings frustrated by a sizable budget surplus in 2020 despite ongoing economic hardship during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Survey data will advise the mayor’s office as it prepares its initial budget proposal for the coming fiscal year. That plan, set to be delivered to the D.C. Council by March 31, will be the first draft for deciding how funding will be allocated as the District continues to manage the ongoing pandemic.