The D.C. Council ended 2023 with the passage of legislation dealing with, among other issues, wage transparency and minimum wage protections, support of low-performing public and public charter schools, extension of health insurance coverage to cover home visiting services, and protection for Housing Purchase Assistance Program participants.
The legislative body carried out these feats as it battled D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser (D) on matters that were thought to be finalized with the passage of the FY 2024 budget. As both branches of local government gear up for another budget season, the following explains what readers can expect to go down in the John A. Wilson Building in 2024:
- Bowser-Council Showdown over SNAP Funds: After D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser (D) rebuffed the council’s attempt to allocate $39 million in surplus funds for Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program recipients, as outlined in the FY 2024 budget, the council signed a letter asking her to reconsider her decision. Those funds, when given to the D.C. Department of Human Services, would support the SNAP increase and DHS’ ability to disseminate SNAP benefits more efficiently. Bowser, however, remains adamant about diverting those funds toward other budget priorities, including union contracts and WMATA.
- Metro Transit Budget: WMATA General Manager Randy Clarke’s FY 2025 budget proposal, released in mid-December, included rate increases, cuts to Metro service and personnel, and the closure of nearly a dozen Metro stations. These adjustments, Clarke said, would help close WMATA’s highly anticipated $750 million budget gap. Clarke warned Bowser and the council about this dim outlook in October. Bowser recently told The Informer that she’s exploring a strategy through which the District would contribute “its fair share” to maintain service. Across the Potomac, some elected officials, including Alexandria Council member John Taylor Chapman, appear to be on the same page. He’s vying for the funding of Virginia-based Metro stations.
- Renovating Capital One Arena: In the aftermath of Monumental Sports & Entertainment’s announcement about a move to a new stadium in Alexandria, Virginia, the D.C. Council will deliberate and, most likely, shepherd legislation to allocate a half-billion dollars toward the renovation of Capital One Arena. If the legislation passes, the project will take three years. Construction of the new arena, however, would be wrapping up around the same time. Over the next few months, District officials and residents will be in this tug-of-war with their Northern Virginia counterparts. Meanwhile, some people continue to demand that Capital One Arena renovations inspire free, family-friendly activities around Gallery Place-Chinatown.
- Tax Revision Recommendations: The Tax Revision Commission released preliminary recommendations in December touting no changes in revenue, meaning no tax increases. This leaves some advocates wondering whether, in the New Year, the council will heed those words and overlook developers and other high earners as sources of additional tax revenue. There are even questions of how the tax revision will affect working-class Washingtonians, particularly those with children. To that end, the D.C. The Council Committee on Business and Economic Development will deliberate on a bill by Ward 5 D.C. Council member Zachary Parker that makes the child tax credit permanent. This committee, chaired by D.C. Council member Kenyan McDuffie (I-At large), a champion of the business community, will also deliberate on the soon-to-be-completed tax revision recommendations.
- ACT Now legislation: In 2023, Bowser introduced the Addressing Crime Trends (ACT) Now Act as a means of giving local enforcement more latitude to tackle crime. Provisions include the return of anti-loitering zones and anti-masking laws. Public witnesses weighed the pros and cons of passing the legislation, with some expressing concern about discrimination about Black residents and mask wearers. Provisions of the legislation loosening chokehold restrictions and allowing officers to watch body-worn camera footage before writing reports also caught the ire of human rights activists, while at least one person suggested a deeper dive into chronic absenteeism.
- School Safety: In January, the D.C. Council will deliberate on two bills, the School Safety Enhancement Act and the Conflict Resolution Education Amendment Act. If passed, the first bill, introduced by Parker, would require the Office of the State Superintendent of Education (OSSE) to develop safety plans and designate a school safety director at every school. The second bill, introduced by D.C. Council member Janeese Lewis George (D-Ward 4), requires OSSE to develop a uniform conflict resolution curriculum. Last summer, the Office of Deputy Mayor for Education alluded to similar efforts to complement a pilot curfew program that Metropolitan Police Chief Pamela Smith rolled out before the start of the school year.
- Nina Albert Confirmation: The D.C. Council’s Committee on Business and Economic Development will soon conduct confirmation hearings for Nina Albert, the acting deputy mayor for planning and economic development. If confirmed, Albert will permanently replace John Falcchicio, who resigned last year amid sexual harassment allegations that triggered internal investigations, the D.C. Council’s efforts to explore D.C. government sexual misconduct more broadly, and an update to a mayoral order. Albert has more than 20 years of experience in strategic real estate, public-private partnership negotiations, economic revitalization, and sustainable development. She most recently worked in the U.S. General Services Administration, where she managed nearly 370 million square feet of government-owned and leased space across the U.S. and six territories.
A Question of Ballot Initiatives and Appropriations – In 2023, after the D.C. Board of Elections approved an open primary ballot initiative anticipated to incur a cost, D.C. Council Chairman Phil Mendelson (D) and D.C Councilwoman Anita Bonds (D-At large) co-introduced the Initiative Amendment Act. If passed, this legislation would prevent what Mendelson described in a letter as an influx of expensive initiatives passed without council approval. Mendelson has been on record saying that he wants to maintain the spirit of the 1978 charter amendment forbidding the introduction of ballot initiatives that are “subject to appropriations.” However, some proponents of open primaries sense more nefarious intentions at hand.
