D.C. Council approves FY27 budget on second vote, funds semi-open primaries

The D.C. Council approved its fiscal 2027 Local Budget Act on a second vote June 26, after a dispute over whether the city should use reserve funds to restore cuts. Council leaders cast the reserve draw as a policy choice, while city finance officials warned it could weaken long-term stability.

The Council said the budget restores about $400 million in cuts from Mayor Muriel Bowser’s original plan and uses $150 million from reserves. The package still leaves the District with about 62 days of reserves, according to the Council, but critics argued the city should not rely on reserve money to support ongoing spending.

What gets restored

For residents, the biggest changes are in safety-net programs. The budget restores funding for housing vouchers, childcare assistance and legal services. Those are the kinds of programs that can affect whether a family stays housed, whether a parent can keep working, and whether a tenant can get help in a dispute.

The Council also said any excess revenue should first replenish the reserve fund that was tapped. That makes the fight about more than one budget year and sets up the next round of pressure if revenues do not rebound quickly.

What changes for elections

The budget also funds semi-open primaries tied to Initiative 83. The D.C. Board of Elections says ranked-choice voting was funded in the FY2026 budget and began with the June 2026 primary election. Semi-open primaries, by contrast, are now funded for the 2028 primary cycle, when independent voters would be able to choose a party ballot.

That means the election change is real, but not immediate. Party members would still vote in their own party’s primary, and the District will still need to complete implementation steps before the new rules take effect.

Residents should still watch the next budget step: the Budget Support Act was expected to get its final vote July 7, which means the full spending package was still moving through the process even after the June 26 approval.

Sources

• Council of the District of Columbia — budget write-up on second vote and reserve dispute
• WTOP — D.C. Council passes budget amid CFO dispute, funds open primaries
• D.C. Board of Elections — current ballot measures and election context