The D.C. Council on Wednesday gave final approval to the city’s $21 billion fiscal 2025 budget, voting to fund more than 600 additional housing vouchers for residents at risk of homelessness ahead of a contentious debate over the future of the District’s sports betting program., city leaders have debated spending priorities as revenue growth has slowed, an issue compounded by the expiration of pandemic-era federal aid that helped city leaders temporarily boost services for residents in need.
“When the budget was proposed to us on April 3, yes it was balanced, but the balancing seemed to be almost entirely the result of cutting safety net programs and other initiatives that advanced the fight for equity,” Mendelson said. “The council collectively has reworked this, and our budget resets the district on the path to fight poverty and promote social justice.
Ahead of Wednesday’s vote, Mendelson reversed his changes to the jail’s funding. The project is expected to be completed in 2034.to dramatically reshape the city’s struggling sports wagering program through the budget process, offering less opportunity for scrutiny. That bill, introduced earlier this year by council member Kenyan R. McDuffie , aims to repair the city’s mobile sports betting market by offering pathways for major betting operators to partner with local sports teams.
“Regardless of where you land on sports betting, we can agree that process matters,” Parker wrote on the social media platform X, explaining his amendment. “Fast-tracking sports betting through the budget is a choice, one that is unnecessary.”