D.C. starts hiring freeze and drafts plan for furloughs
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The District is freezing government hiring and pay raises in order to comply with a Congressionally mandated cut to its local budget, the Bowser administration said Tuesday.
Why it matters: D.C. is dealing with another hammer from the feds, this time because the GOP House didn't approve a fix that would've avoided the cuts.
The big picture: The Bowser administration anticipates needing to cut $410 million.
- That's better than the $1.1 billion that was anticipated until Monday, when officials found a budget maneuver to give themselves more breathing room.
- Officials said in a budget briefing that they are trying to avoid cuts to basic services like policing, trash pickup, and schools.
State of play: All overtime pay will be frozen after April 27, per a new mayor's order. Agencies will be allowed to apply for waivers, such as the police department.
- On the horizon, there are steeper cuts being considered. Bowser has directed City Administrator Kevin Donahue to submit a plan by April 25 for employee furloughs and facility closures (schools, hospitals and shelters are excluded from any closures).
Catch up fast: D.C. is in this pickle because of the funding bill that Congress approved last month to avoid a government shutdown.
- The bill treats D.C. as a federal agency — an unusual move that requires the District to curtail its budget spending to the previous fiscal year's funding levels.
- After residents and city hall protested, the Senate passed a bill on March 14 excluding D.C. as a federal agency to avoid the budget cuts.
- But even with President Trump's endorsement, it didn't pass the House before it went on recess last week. Lawmakers return on April 28.
The bottom line: It's unknown how fast — or if — the House will pass the fix to the city's budget, which is why the city is planning for potential deeper cuts.
This is a developing story. Check back for updates.