"Creating the Office of Vocational Education and Skills Training will give District youth and adults access to skills and access to jobs," said Councilmember David A. Catania (At-Large), Chairperson of the Committee on Public Services. "We need to invest in future career opportunities for youth in the District," continued Catania.

To free up dollars to fund other priorities, the Committee is recommending reducing the District's subsidy to WMATA by roughly $4 million dollars from the Mayor's proposed budget. This reduction in local allowances will not affect Metro services, as the Committee recommends using $8.2 million in FY 2000 and 2001 subsidy adjustments this year to pay for the improved services envisioned in the Mayor's proposed budget. The Committee also set aside $1.3 million to go toward tax reductions or other Council priorities.

Along with creating the State Office of Vocational Education and Skills Training (VEST), the Committee increased the budgets of the Advisory Neighborhood Commissions, the Department of Employment Services (DOES), the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Commission (WMATC), and the Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments (COG).

Below is a summary of the Committee's budget recommendations:

Advisory Neighborhood Commissions

The Committee is recommending a budget increase of $893,515 for the Advisory Neighborhood Commissions, an increase of $95,000 more than the Mayor's proposed budget. Funds will be used to increase the allotment of each of the District's 37 ANCs, the official outlet for citizen participation in the District, signaling the Committee's continued commitment to the ANCs. The Office of the ANCs has been given a $45,000 increase to be used to assist the ANCs increase their professionalism.

Department of Employment Services

The Committee recommends a $98,309,766 for the Department of Employment Services (DOES), an increase of $17,833,163 more than last year. However, the Committee is disallowing $725,400 in administrative spending of federal funds until the Department presents a spending plan that directs those dollars toward programmatic concerns.

"I am deeply concerned that the increases requested by the Mayor for the Department of Employment Services, such as an unjustified 32 percent increase for the Department's CFO, will have no impact on the services that DOES provides," said Catania. "DOES dollars should fund DOES programs."

The Committee recommended that DOES present a plan for restructuring its administration to the Committee by January 1, 2003.

Office of Vocational Education and Skills Training (VEST)

The Committee authorized $2.9 million to create the Office of Vocational Education and Skills Training at the University of the District of Columbia. In an effort to provide District youth and adults with needed skills for employment, the UDC office will teach programs for ambulance attendant emergency medical technicians, arson and bomb investigators, barber-scientists, boiler operators, brick masons, cement finishers, carpenters, cosmetologists, commercial drivers, drywall contractors, electrical wirer, hazardous waste material handler, heating and air conditioning repair, historical preservationist, machine repairperson, plumbers, roofers, sheet metal workers, sprinkler workers, and stationary engineers.

Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority

The Committee recommended $154,531,000 as the District's subsidy to WMATA, an increase of 4.0 percent from the FY 2002 subsidy. The Committee is recommending that the District use $8.2 million in FY 2001 subsidy adjustments, lowering the District's allotment by roughly $4 million without any cuts in services. The Committee expressed concern that WMATA's revenues are not increasing at the same rate as its expenditures, taxing the member jurisdictions' abilities to pay for the service. Two recommendations were made: first, that WMATA should seek new revenue sources, and second, that the federal government's subsidy to the transit authority should increase to recognize that fully 35 percent of Metro's ridership consists of federal employees.

Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Commission

The Committee on Public Services recommends a budget of $90,000 for WMATC, equal to the Mayor's request and an increase of $7,000 more than the FY 2002 budget. The transit commission, which sets interstate taxicab rates, sets its budget via a population-based formula of its member jurisdictions.

Washington Metropolitan Council of Governments

The Committee on Public Services recommends a FY 2003 budget of $397,000 for COG, equal to the Mayor's request and an increase of $30,000 more than the FY 2002 budget. The budget increase reflects the District's population growth since last year, as COG uses a per-capita formula to determine each of its member jurisdiction's share of COG's budget.