We're Getting Closer to a Budget

I imagine most of you are following the headline news with respect to DC's FY2026 budget, but in case you aren't, here is Martin Austermuhle's most recent article in The 51st to cover that territory,

Our issues don't make it into the headlines though, so to clarify:  the $1 million in one-time administrative fees that the Facilities committee restored remained in the DDS budget passed by the council in its first vote, BUT the $1.61 million (which I mistakenly rounded up to $1.7 million in my last post) that the committee stripped from DDS waiver funding was not put back in, since the committee felt it was needed for other important disability-related funding and questioned DDS director Reese's claim that the reduction could lead to a wait list for the waiver later in the year.

There will be another council vote on the budget July 28, but I wouldn't expect this money to show back up in the budget.  This won't have an immediate impact on DDA services, but it adds to future uncertainty, already on the horizon due to federal-level Medicaid changes.  In brief, there's going to be plenty of need for advocacy as the coming year unfolds.

[While you're here, take a look at the first post of my weekly "DClives" Substack newsletter, "Real People."]

And a short postscript:  You may have noticed that former councilmember Trayon White is projected to have defeated his three opponents in the July 15 Ward 8 special election, which could lead to another showdown with colleagues in the council.  The Ward 8 seat on the council has been vacant since White was expelled in February.