WASHINGTON, D.C. (7News) — D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser warned that difficult budget decisions lie ahead as the city faces rising costs that are outpacing revenue growth, prompting officials to consider cuts to some city programs next fiscal year.
While the District expects to have about $11.3 billion available in the upcoming budget, officials said maintaining current programs and services — along with absorbing new costs — would leave the city more than $1 billion over budget.
“The answer is not so simple as, ‘we’ll just increase taxes,'” explained D.C. Council Chairman Phil Mendelson. “To increase taxes by a billion dollars would be very, very significant. Something that the District has never done.”…