FY26 Budget Season
Please join us on Monday, March 3, 2025 from 8:30 am to 9:30 am for an IN-PERSON, District Strong conversation with Glen Lee, Chief Financial Officer for the District of Columbia.
The District's latest tax revenue estimates will be published this coming Friday. As we head into what could be a tumultuous economic environment for the city, CFO Lee will share what tax revenue levels could look like in the near and medium-term, and what it all means for the FY26 budget. This event will take place at the Federal City Council (1310 L Street NW, 1st Floor Conference Center).
Have questions or need assistance with your RSVP? Please contact Melissa Crawford at mcrawford@federalcitycouncil.org
Learn more about our speaker.
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Glen Lee, the independent chief financial officer (CFO) for the District of Columbia, manages the District’s finances, including its approximately $21.2 billion operating budget and $3 billion capital budget. Mr. Lee was appointed to this position by Mayor Muriel Bowser and confirmed by the District mCouncil and Congress in June of 2022.
As CFO, Mr. Lee’s primary duty is to ensure that the District government is financially sustainable. To accomplish this, Mr. Lee’s team of 1,700 forecasts the District’s revenues and financial condition, develops and manages the District’s budget, administers the District’s taxes, and executes and records the District’s financial transactions. Mr. Lee’s team administers the District’s lottery and gaming programs and oversees the finances of the United Medical Center (Not-for-profit Hospital Corporation), the University of the District of Columbia, and the Washington Convention and Sports Authority (Events DC). He is also responsible for coordinating with congressional committees that oversee the District’s fiscal affairs. He regularly interacts with the Greater Washington region’s business and government leaders as well as the District’s financial stakeholders including bond rating agencies.
Previously, he served for 12 years as the finance director for the city of Seattle. During his tenure, Mr. Lee oversaw the implementation of financial and tax administration systems, as well as the successful financial recovery of the city’s retirement system. Prior to this appointment, he managed Seattle’s revenue forecasting and budget development functions.
Before joining Seattle, Lee worked as a fiscal and policy analyst for the State of California’s Legislative Analyst’s Office where his assignments included tax policy, revenue forecasting and tax administration.
As CFO for the District of Columbia, Mr. Lee sits on the boards of Events DC, Destination DC, the Green Finance Authority Board (DC Green Bank), Not-for-Profit Hospital Corporation, DC Retirement Board, and the Tobacco Settlement Financing Corporation.
Lee serves on the Government Finance Officers Association’s Debt Management Advisory Committee and served on the Economics Department Advisory Board for Seattle University.
Glen Lee holds an undergraduate degree in economics from the University of California, Berkeley.