Like many U.S. cities, D.C. faces a cash crunch. Costs have risen for nearly everything, while revenue has been relatively flat. Cities have run through federal pandemic relief dollars, of which D.C. received more than $3 billion. Commercial property taxes have fallen sharply, in tandem with property values, and are likely to deteriorate further as buildings sit empty. The District’s leaders have tough choices to make in their 2025 budget to close a $700 million hole. The top priorities are clear: public safety, downtown revitalization and youth. Mayor Muriel E. Bowser’s proposed budget would spend just shy of $21 billion. The D.C. Council’s plan spend about $41 million more than the mayor’s. Their big differences lie in the policy details, and they matter.
Washington
Opinion | Raising taxes this much in D.C. will backfire
Taxes are going up, but the two branches disagree over which levies to increase — and how much. Ms. Bowser (D) would raise the paid family leave tax that businesses pay, add an 80-cent per night fee on hotel rooms and increase the sales tax (gradually, from 6 percent now to 7 percent by fiscal 2027). In total, revenue would rise $447 million next year under the mayor’s proposal. The council would raise more — $550 million in new revenue next year — via both a higher paid family leave tax and higher property taxes on homes worth $2.5 million or above. In fact, the council’s budget closes the vast majority of the budget shortfall via higher taxes.
That’s unwise. Raising so many taxes, in lieu of spending cuts, signals to businesses and residents that legislators are unable to focus on what truly matters. It’s also a warning sign of more taxes and fees to come if budget holes persist. As business leaders consider whether to keep their business in the city or relocate to Maryland or Virginia, they will factor in the city’s public safety and finances.
The council eliminated the mayor’s proposed hotel fee, arguing it would hurt D.C.’s ability to compete for conferences and events. A similar logic should apply to the council’s own proposed tripling of the family leave payroll tax, from the current level of 0.26 percent of wages paid to an employee to 0.75 percent. (Ms. Bowser is proposing 0.62 percent.) This tax is supposed to fund employees’ time off work to care for a baby or a sick family member, but it will soon be used for general city expenses. In contrast, the council’s property tax increase would be relatively modest and targeted at the most expensive homes.
As for spending, it’s encouraging that the mayor and council agreed on more money for the police and for converting unused offices to other uses, as well as for strategically transforming public spaces and empty storefronts. Education also receives a bump, though the mayor and council continue to spar over how much should go to the central office vs. schools. In that case, the council is right to emphasize funding teachers and classroom needs.
The other reality in the District is a vast income and wealth inequality that is especially pronounced between White and Black households. Ms. Bowser proposed steep cuts to critical programs for those less well-off, including housing assistance for struggling families, the Access to Justice program that provides civil legal assistance to low-income residents, and the Early Childhood Educator Pay Equity Fund that subsidizes pay for child-care workers. The council mostly restores these, but then goes a step further by creating a new Child Tax Credit (CTC) of $420 per child to provide more money to low- and middle-income families with kids and a Baby Bonds program to invest $1,000 per year per low-income child. It would be better to fund Baby Bonds through a private foundation than public dollars, and this is not the right time to do a CTC for married couples earning up to $240,000 a year.
Chief Financial Officer Glen Lee has to sign off on whatever the mayor and council adopt. Residents and Congress are not going to be comfortable if he does not. We are glad to see the mayor and council working closely with Mr. Lee as the June 12 budget vote approaches. The District has to replenish its reserves, but not necessarily in 2025. There’s a smart compromise in the works to ensure the city will have adequate liquidity to pay all bills on time by allowing the CFO to temporarily tap into different trust funds, if needed. This is a common tactic used by other state and local governments and works well as long as a good accounting and audit systems are in place.
As the council makes its final tweaks, there has to be a reality check on taxes and spending. Scaling back is hard. But making tough choices now is better than losing business to Virginia and Maryland.
Celebrate Mothers Day with à la carte brunch at Lady Madison featuring seafood, entrées, desserts, and premium beverage options.
Celebrate Mothers Day in sophisticated style at Lady Madison, located inside Le Méridien Washington, DC, The Madison. Join us on Sunday, May 10, 2026, from 12:003:00 PM for an elevated à la carte brunch experience in downtown Washington, DC.
Enjoy a refined selection of chef-driven brunch classics, fresh seafood, seasonal salads, and elegant entrées. Highlights include a Build Your Own Omelette, Crab Benedict with lime hollandaise, Chilled Seafood Trio, and signature mains such as Roasted Rack of Lamb, Cedar Plank Sea Bass, and Marinated New York Strip Loin.
End on a sweet note with classic desserts including Crème Brûlée Cheesecake, Fruit Tart, Strawberry Shortcake, and Passion Fruit Cake.
Enhance your experience with beverage offerings, including bottomless Mimosas and Bloody Marys for $30 with house selections. Piper-Heidsieck Champagne is also available by the glass for $16 or by the bottle for $49.
Reserve on OpenTable:
https://www.opentable.com/booking/experiences-availability?rid=1426987&restref=1426987&experienceId=695240&utm_source=external&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=shared
À La Carte Menu
Les ufs & Brunch
Egg White Frittata $24
spinach, tomato, mushrooms, green onion
Served with pommes de terre rissolées or seasonal fruit
Build Your Own Omelette $24
ham, smoked salmon, vegetables, cheeses (choose up to 3)
Served with pommes de terre rissolées or seasonal fruit
Crab Benedict $24
lime hollandaise, salsa cruda
Served with pommes de terre rissolées or seasonal fruit
Brioche French Toast $17
berry compote, whipped butter, maple syrup
Les Froids & Salades
Chilled Seafood Trio $28
Jonah crab claws, shrimp, cocktail sauce
Spring Berry Salad $17
brie, berries, champagne vinaigrette
Golden & Crimson Beet Salad $18
red wine vinaigrette
Add protein: shrimp, salmon, skirt steak +18 | chicken +16
Les Plats Principaux
Roasted Rack of Lamb $42
mint sauce, huckleberry reduction, sweet potato purée, asparagus
Cedar Plank Sea Bass $49
saffron rice, spring vegetables
New York Strip Loin $42
mushroom sauce, truffle croquette potatoes, haricots verts
Les Desserts $14
Crème Brûlée Cheesecake
Fruit Tart
Strawberry Shortcake
Passion Fruit Cake
4 things to know about the weather:
- Nice Mother’s Day morning
- Shower chance late Sunday
- Morning showers on Monday
- Temperature drop to start the new workweek
Happy Mother’s Day to all the moms! Mother Nature will give us nice conditions for most of the day on Sunday. Expect sunshine and mild conditions for the first half of the day, then a chance of showers near dinner time.
Monday includes a chance of rain, mainly in the morning, then cooler air settles into the area. Highs go from near 80°on Sund ay to the mid 60s Monday.
Download the NBC Washington app on iOS and Android to check the weather radar on the go.
QuickCast
MOTHER’S DAY:
Mostly sunny
Showers late
Wind: W 5-10 mph
HIGH: Low 80s
MONDAY:
Shower chance early
Partly cloudy afternoon
Wind: W 5-10 mph
HIGH: Mid 60s
TUESDAY:
Sunny
Wind: N 5-10 mph
HIGH: Upper 60s
SUNRISE: 6:00 a.m. SUNSET: 8:09 p.m.
AVERAGE HIGH: 75° AVERAGE LOW: 56°
Stay with Storm Team4 for the latest forecast. Download the NBC Washington app on iOS and Android to get severe weather alerts on your phone.
An 18-year-old who was shot and wounded in Northwest D.C.’s Tenleytown neighborhood on Thursday afternoon has died, authorities say.
Brady Flowers Jr., of Southwest, was the victim, police said in an update Saturday.
Flowers was found shot in the 4500 block of Wisconsin Avenue NW, behind the CVS store. Jackson-Reed High School and American University are nearby.
Flowers was rushed to a hospital with life-threatening injuries and pronounced dead a day later, police said.
Police said 10-15 teens were seen running after the gunshots.
An investigation is underway. Anyone with potentially relevant information is asked to contact police.
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