Councilmember Jack Evans Weighs in on Mayor-elect Vince Gray's Budget Speech

In his "State of the District Budget" speech Nov. 22, Mayor-elect Vince Gray offered a gloomy picture of the District's financial situation. In a statement released Nov. 23, Councilmember Jack Evans (D-Ward 2) echoed Gray's call for tough decisions and an end to "short-sighted budget gimmicks."

Gray made vague references to reevaluating budget priorities and called for a freeze on all capital projects "not yet underway." Gray also said that he "will not ask District residents or businesses to pay one single dollar in tax increases" until he can assure them that he has "scrubbed the budget and found every last dollar in savings first."

Evans latched on to the tax comment saying that we cannot balance the budget on the "back" of D.C. residents and small businesses. 

In his response Evans referenced his previous attempts to reign in spending on some of the larger budget categories to include government agencies and employees. Evans said he had previously received no support from other members of thee Council for his proposed "three percent across-the-board cut for all District agencies, as well as mandatory furloughs for District employees."

Gray did not go so far as to propose cuts from the ranks of employees or spending from key agencies. The Mayor-elect spelled out that of the $3.8 million of the D.C. budget not allocated to Fixed costs, upwards of 75 percent goes to supporting District employees, schools and Medicaid.  "Traditionally, Medicaid, public safety, and schools have been spared from major cuts," he explained. "Traditionally."

Gray soberly closed saying "everyone is going to have to take a hit and share in the sacrifice." Evans agreed and urged his colleagues on the Council to "step up to the plate and make the difficult decisions we were elected to make."

A public hearing on the budget will take place Nov. 30.