On March 22, DC Mayor Muriel Bowser released her proposed FY2024 budget to the DC Council. The mayor’s budget overview presentation to the council as well as budget highlights for each ward are available at budget.dc.gov.

• Ward 4 FY2024 Proposed Budget Highlights (highlights funding for modernization of LaSalle-Backus Elementary School & funding for completing the Metropolitan Branch Trail from First Place NE to Oglethorpe Street NW)

• Ward 5 FY2024 Proposed Budget Highlights (highlights funding for UDC Bertie Backus campus expansion & funding for community park space on District-owned green space on corner of South Dakota Avenue & Riggs Road NE).

Proposed budget details are in the budget books on the District’s Office of the Chief Financial Officer website.

FY2024 Budget Hearing Schedule

The Council Committee of the Whole hearing with Mayor Bowser is today. Over the next few weeks, Council committees will hold hearings on proposed agency budgets.

The FY2024 budget hearing schedule and instructions on how to participate through either oral or written testimony are available at https://dccouncil.gov/2022-2023-performance-oversight-fy-2024-budget-schedules.

Items relevant to/near Riggs Park

• UDC Bertie Backus Campus Expansion on p. 4 – 60,000 sq. ft. expansion; notes include current projects (Bertie Backus Master Plan Development & Programming; Backus Exterior Beautification Project; Aquaponics Infrastructure Improvements)
• DCPS Coolidge High cafeteria addition on p. 18 – included in previous capital budgets
• DCPS LaSalle-Backus Elementary modernization on p. 41 – same schedule for modernization
• DPR playgrounds on p. 22 – mentions North Michigan Park playground equipment replacement/resurfacing forecasted for FY2023
• DPR roof replacement on p. 26 – mentions Riggs-LaSalle Rec roof replacement forecasted for FY2023

More budget details will come. There has already been lots of commentary about the proposed budget and the lingering impacts of the pandemic on the budget in the past few days. There will be a lot more discussion over the coming weeks. This is your chance to let the Council know what you support and would like to see funded in the budget.