D.C. Council unveils new budget: RFK Stadium funding and I-82 repeal
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RFK Stadium. Photo: Kevin Carter/Getty Images
The D.C. Council's latest budget would pencil in more than $1 billion for the RFK Stadium deal and replace Initiative 82 with a new minimum wage for tipped workers.
Driving the news: Council Chair Phil Mendelson on Sunday unveiled changes to the fiscal year 2026 budget ahead of its first vote on Monday.
The big picture: The proposal would repeal Initiative 82, which gradually increases the base minimum wage for servers, bartenders and other tipped workers to reach the citywide minimum wage (currently $17.95 per hour).
- It would implement a new $8-per-hour tipped base wage — down from the $10 that employers are currently required to pay under I-82.
- The minimum wage for tipped workers would also rise to $20 per hour — so if they don't make up the $12 difference through tips, the employer would need to pay the rest.
- It would also cap service fees at restaurants — which have confused diners — to 10%.
Between the lines: The wage "compromise," as Mendelson called it, could face pushback from progressive council members.
- Advocates say I-82 has led to fairer practices, arguing that the tipping system can be discriminatory and attract bad actors who've stolen wages and tips.
Meanwhile, while the budget contains funding for the Commanders stadium, it does not yet green-light the project.
- Mendelson said a vote on the project would happen after public hearings on July 29 and 30. And lawmakers are expected to make revisions to the deal negotiated between Mayor Muriel Bowser and the team.
- The timeline has upset the Commanders and Bowser, who wanted the deal approved by July 15.
The intrigue: Mendelson did not rule out taking a vote during the August recess, which he previously said would be unlikely.
- The council can meet virtually via Zoom, amid vacation travel for lawmakers.
- Mendelson is proposing a new rule change that would allow council committees to hold markup meetings during the recess, which "provides flexibility" for the Commanders deal.
What's next: The council will vote on the new budget proposal Monday, followed by a final vote in two weeks.