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WARD 1 UPDATE
Hello Neighbors:
We’re in the middle of one of the busiest and most important times in the legislative calendar: performance oversight. This is the Council’s chance to ask the people who run the agencies and offices we oversee to answer key questions, such as: Are we meeting our goals? Where are we falling short? What do we need to do to reach our potential?
It’s also an opportunity for residents to express their concerns and share their stories. You know how these agencies work – and, at times, don’t work. You fill out their forms, such as applications for business licenses or a D.C. One Card. You interact with city government employees and request services, like snow removal or language assistance. You expect things to run smoothly, and when they don’t, you – and I – want to know why.
In short, your testimony matters. When we hear common themes from residents – about gaps in trash pickup or backlogs in human rights cases – we try to resolve these systemic challenges, rather than only addressing each individual request. Thank you to the many of you who have spoken to my committee, on DPW issues, inadequate access to language services, and more.
Residents should expect a government that delivers essential services, ensures a clean and safe environment, and supports a vibrant, diverse, and thriving city.
When the Mayor submits her budget proposal this spring, we’ll build on the lessons we gathered during performance oversight. We’ll analyze the budgets of the agencies we oversee, take public feedback and ask agencies to explain how they will use their resources in a second series of hearings. The Committee will then recommend changes to the full Council ahead of our vote on a final budget this summer.
Much of the work of the agencies we oversee on the Committee on Public Works and Operations does not typically grab headlines. But it is the city services people count on every day. I serve on other committees, too: Housing, Health, Facilities, and the Committee of the Whole. I participate in those meetings, too, questioning residents and agency representatives to prepare to make informed decisions on a budget that illustrates our values and brings us closer to being the District we want.
Thank you to everyone who has offered your thoughts and experiences during the process so far. I hope you'll continue to stay engaged as budget season approaches and beyond.
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