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Fenty Warns Against Plan To Transfer School Funds
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The transfer was among several amendments suggested by Gray, including stripping $2 million from the budget of Deputy Mayor for Education Victor Reinoso and using it toward expanding pre-kindergarten, a priority for Gray. Gray and other council members questioned Reinoso's $6.9 million budget proposal, noting that it was three times as much as last year's.
Gray said his staff members found that the public schools budget was increasing by about $64 million in local funds, a 12.5 percent increase. They found that functions once included in the schools budget are proposed for other city departments.
Gray also said the council did not have enough information to properly study and amend the budget. "There's no question we need more information," he said. "We've said it repeatedly."
At one point during the budget review, Gray received a handwritten memo from JoAnne Ginsberg, Fenty's legislative director, saying the council would get more specific information by tomorrow.
Jim Graham (D-Ward 1) said the council needed more information sooner.
At another markup session yesterday, council member Marion Barry (D-Ward 8) tried to address advocates' outcry over a rental assistance program. Barry recommended that $30 million of any surplus revenue generated in the coming fiscal year go to the Local Rent Supplement Program. The Committee on Housing and Urban Affairs, chaired by Barry, accepted the proposal.
Markups will continue today with the Health, Finance and Revenue, Public Works and the Environment, and Public Services and Consumer Affairs committees.
Staff writer Bill Turque contributed to this report.
