Councilmember Silverman Puts Adult Learners, Jobs, and Working Families First in FY18 Budget Recommendations

Later today, At-Large Councilmember Elissa Silverman, who chairs the Committee on Labor and Workforce Development, will present her FY18 budget recommendations during the Council’s all-day budget work session. These recommendations, which were developed over five weeks and approved unanimously at the Committee mark-up last week, include supporting adult learners seeking to go back to school, expanding job training opportunities for District workers, and aiding working families living in the city.

Since receiving Mayor Bowser’s proposed FY18 budget in April, Councilmember Silverman has held Committee hearings, reviewed witness testimony, and closely worked with advocates, District agency leaders, and Council colleagues to identify funding that helps eliminate barriers to success for adult learners, unemployed residents, and working families.

She will highlight the following investments secured through her Committee during today’s meeting:

• $2 million to eliminate transportation barriers for approximately 7,000 adult learners in the District through a new Adult Learners Transportation Fund (transferred to the Committee on Finance and Revenue)
• $480,000 in reallocated funds to support more participants working to become job-ready and secure full-time employment through the Transitional Employment and Career Connections programs at the Department of Employment Services
• $278,000 to fund two new attorneys at the Office of the Attorney General to focus on significant cases of wage theft, a growing worker concern in the District (transferred to the Committee on Judiciary)
• $281,000 to make necessary security improvements and improve the accessibility of information on the websites and databases of the Office of Employee Appeals and Public Employees Relations Board (transferred from the Committee on Judiciary)
• $31,200 allocated to recruit and retain skilled leadership by increasing the stipends for the Board of Directors at the Office of Employee Appeals and at the Public Employees Relations Board

In addition to funding these vital initiatives, Councilmember Silverman worked with several of her colleagues to secure the following investments outside of the Committee:

• $150,000 to assess citywide need for more non-traditional child care providers and need to increase available and accepted child care subsidies (transferred to the Committee on Education)
• $50,000 identified to increase burial assistance available to very low-income District families who experience an untimely loss of a loved one (recommended to the Committee on Human Services)

The first of two final votes on the FY18 budget will be held next week, on Tuesday, May 30 at an additional Legislative Meeting.