“I was disturbed to learn today that the Mayor opposes the implementation of broad-based tax relief as adopted by the Council,” Mendelson stated.  “Acting to implement tax relief expeditiously is an important component of the District’s affordability strategy.  Changing course from this strategy would delay tax relief, hurting middle-class residents, or those on the road to the middle class, as well as businesses.”

“There is no reason to delay implementation of tax relief,” Mendelson continued, “unless the Mayor’s goal is to cancel the tax reform in order to unnecessarily increase spending on discretionary programs.  The government should be steadfast in its commitment to providing relief to those residents and businesses that bolster the District’s continued growth.”

The tax relief approved in the Fiscal Year 2015 budget is a comprehensive package of tax reforms that place particular emphasis on benefitting low and moderate income earners.  On average, the package provides an estimated $400 – $600 per resident in tax relief.   The reforms also make the District more competitive for businesses.  The Council has made implementation of this relief a priority.  Implementation of the tax reform package as proposed does not impact the approved funding for agencies and programs in the upcoming fiscal year.

DC Reproductive Health Discrimination Law Blocked by House Panel – “It is beyond comprehension why Members of Congress would condone discrimination in any form,” DC Council Chairman Phil Mendelson said in a statement. “That’s what this is about, and bigotry has no place in America in the 21st century.”  [The Mendelson Post]

Union Station Overhaul Doesn’t Happen Until H Street Bridge is Rebuilt.  Here’s When That Might Happen – Building a new bridge, one strong enough to support future development in all directions, is an immense undertaking, and Union Station’s second century plan is at a standstill until it’s done. The two together “will substantially transform Union Station as a transportation hub, not just in the region, but arguably on the eastern seaboard,” DC Council Chairman Phil Mendelson said Wednesday during an oversight hearing on Mayor Muriel Bowser’s commitment to the overall project.  [Washington Business Journal]

United, District Reach Finals Terms on Stadium Deal – Mendelson, however, added that under the terms released Monday, a stadium feasibility report now due before the city commits to buying the land at the end of September provides “outs for both sides” should cost estimates prove wildly off the mark.  But the chairman said he thinks the odds of the project derailing now are low. “I think we have a deal.”  [The Washington Post]

Bowser Announces Final DC United Soccer Stadium Deal – “There’s no question that the District is the most logical place for the stadium,” [Mendelson] said.  [DCist]

DC Mayor, City Council Talk Further About Wooing Washington’s NFL Team – “I don’t that we have funding for a Washington football team,” Mendelson continued. “I don’t think we even have a concept at this point. So no, I don’t think that you could make the comparison.”  [The Washington Post]

DC Lawmakers Vote to Defy Congress on Billions, but Will Anyone Notice? – “This is a seminal day in the history of Home Rule,” [Mendelson] said in a statement. “While litigation continues, today’s vote moves the District forward.”  [The Washington Post]

DC Council Objects to School Renovations Costs–Again – “Twenty-four schools have gotten nothing,” DC Council chairman Phil Mendelson said. “It’s not like we haven’t spent a couple of billion dollars.”  [Washington City Paper]

Bowser: District Has “Very Generous Deal” on Table for United Stadium – DC Council Chairman Phil Mendelson (D), said he was upset Tuesday morning after reading about meetings between the team and economic development officials in Virginia.  “I wonder if it’s a negotiating tactic,” he said, questioning if the team was perhaps trying to accelerate the city’s land acquisition for the stadium, which many expect will require the mayor to invoke eminent domain.  [The Washington Post]

After Budget, DC Council Pushes Forward with New Legislation – Even as the council moved on from weeks of budget negotiations, the status of the city’s $13 billion spending plan remained unsettled.  Council Chairman Phil Mendelson (D) said lawmakers would convene in private next week to decide how to press forward with implementing a ballot proposal, approved by voters, that would change the way city budgets are enacted.  [The Washington Post]

Mendo Changes Budget Schedule After Court Win – DC Council Chairman Phil Mendelson has scheduled a new Council meeting to vote again on the budget. That’s despite uncertainty about how the District will handle what could be its first budget passed without congressional approval.  “The victory we received last week at the Court of Appeals was not as broad as some people think,” Mendelson told councilmembers at the Council’s Tuesday breakfast meeting.  The Council will vote again on the budget on June 10, as part of its attempt to treat the budget like any other bill the Council passes. Previously, the Council has passed budgets with a single vote, then sent them on for federal approval.  [Washington City Paper]

On Budget, Bowser and Mendelson Can’t Agree to Disagree – “Perhaps it makes good press, perhaps it creates the appearance of a controversy,” Mendelson says. “But there is none.”  [Washington City Paper]

DC Parking Tickets, Meters Could Cost More – “We have not changed the parking fine in many, many years,” says D.C. Council Chairman Phil Mendelson. “Even at $30, our fine will be below what the suburban jurisdictions are.”  [WTOP]

DC Council Chairman’s Budget Nixes Tax Hikes, Summer-Jobs Expansion – “24-year-olds ought to have a real job, not a six-week minimum wage job,” [Mendelson] said at a budget briefing held Tuesday.  [The Washington Times]

DC Council Approves $13B Budget for 2016 – “The differences were so minor and with any package that’s $13 billion there’s going to be something to disagree about,” Mendelson says.  Mendelson made a few last minute concessions, including the extension of the “Kids Ride Free” Metro program.  “I’m pleased with how the budget has evolved,” Mendelson says. “I made the point that the budget as a package reflects inputs from a lot of people.”  [CBS DC]

DC Council Holds Taxes and Approves Housing, May Not Need Budget Blessing from Congress – The $12.9 billion budget adopted by the council Wednesday makes “enormous strides” by funding a number of initiatives focused on lowering burdens on lower- and middle-income residents, reducing homelessness and prioritizing school modernization projects efficiently, Mr. Mendelson said.  [The Washington Times]

Mendelson Cautious on Budget Autonomy Act – “If in fact we have autonomy, this will be the first time in 20 years that our budget will actually be approved before the start of the fiscal year,” Mendelson said, noting the District’s fiscal year begins in October, like the federal fiscal year, but appropriators often do not approve a final spending plan until months later. “Because we’re tied to the congressional process, things are delayed or vulnerable to shutdowns,” he said.  [Roll Call]