Auditor: DC mayor’s proposed budget isn’t fiscally responsible

Mayor Muriel Bowser caused some controversy by saying she's "annoyed" with Mumbo sauce, a popular condiment in DC. (Alex Wong/Getty Images)

WASHINGTON (AP) — The auditor of Washington, D.C., says the city’s $15.5 billion budget by proposed Mayor Muriel E. Bowser is “not fiscally responsible.”

The Washington Post reports D.C. Auditor Kathleen Patterson said Monday that the budget is balanced by proposed tax increases, but is unsustainable in the long run. She says the projected spending increase would outweigh the projected revenue growth forecasted by District Chief Financial Officer Jeffrey S. DeWitt.

DeWitt said last month that the city would see nearly no revenue growth during this fiscal year, which ends in September. He says revenue may grow by up to 4 percent in 2020. But the mayor’s budget proposes an 8 percent spending increase that year.

Bowser’s budget includes upgrades for the city’s jail and funding for affordable housing and public safety programs.

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Information from: The Washington Post, http://www.washingtonpost.com