Annual Message to the Congress Transmitting the Budget for the District of Columbia, Fiscal Year 1969.

To the Congress of the United States:

I am transmitting the budget of the District of Columbia for the fiscal year beginning July 1, 1968.

The budget proposes fiscal 1969 appropriations of $609 million. Revenues from existing sources will total $371.6 million. New taxes will raise an additional $18.9 million. The proposed Federal payment is $83.5 million. The remainder of the budget--$135.8 million--represents Federal loans for public facilities and commitments required today for construction costs in subsequent years.

This budget requests the minimum funds necessary to meet the needs of the citizens of the Capital of the United States.

Preparation of the budget was begun by the outgoing three-commissioner government. Mayor Waiter Washington and his Deputy have reviewed it intensively, and made modifications in the relatively brief time available for this purpose. This budget has been considered and amended by the District Council after public hearings. Most significantly, for the first time in nearly 100 years, the citizens of the District have had the opportunity to voice their views on budgetary proposals before a city council.

Through careful and thoughtful development of this budget, the reorganized District Government has shown that it can conduct the public's business efficiently and judiciously with active public participation. This augurs well for prompt achievement of the city's goal of self-government.

The District budget for 1969 requests funds to combat the urgent and complex problems being experienced by all the major cities of our Nation. These problems include an increase in the crime rate, growing public health needs, traffic congestion, educational demands, housing shortages, expanding welfare requirements, spiraling demands for job training and employment assistance, and air and water pollution. To attack these problems, the budget calls for funds to:

• Strengthen the police, courts, and corrections systems, including an increase in police manpower and modernization of police communications and data processing equipment.
• Improve the public school system and higher education in the District of Columbia, including improved incentives to attract and retain first-rate teachers, school construction and modernization and establishment of two new public colleges.
• Improve public health and human relations services, including the new community health center program.
• Establish a comprehensive neighborhood service center by bringing a wide range of health, recreation, and other social services together for residents in their own neighborhood.
• Build recreation centers and provide for the vital Summer Enrichment Program.

• Begin construction of the rapid rail transport system and continue construction of interstate highways.
• Expand programs to combat air and water pollution and step up the District's rat control efforts.
These improvements represent the first installment of the new District Government's promissory note to its citizens. Their needs and their expectations are great. Their budget--set forth in the transmittal letter of the Mayor--is sound and realistic and requests urgently needed funds. I recommend that the Congress approve the District budget and revenue measures for fiscal 1969.

LYNDON B. JOHNSON
February 27, 1968