A Note from Councilmember Anita Bonds

I hope this message finds you well. As we continue our efforts to make our city safer, I want to update you on the progress we are making in enhancing the security and well-being of our community. We are actively working on initiatives to address public safety concerns, improve law enforcement practices, and foster a sense of security for all residents. To that end, I am including information about the Secure DC Act that passed last week.

We have been busy here at the Council. For most of January and February, I have held oversight hearings with the agencies and services in my committee. To help you know what these are and how they serve our city, please see the list in this newsletter.  

We have all been impacted by the public safety issues in our city and that has to be our number one priority. As a member on the Public Safety and Judiciary Committee, I would love to hear your thoughts and any other ideas you have on public safety or any other matters dealing with the agencies/services in my committees. Please know that new measures are in place and some of the violence measurements have been trending down.

Let us come together as a community to celebrate diversity, promote equality, and work towards making our city a safer and more inclusive place for everyone.

Warm regards,

Anita Bonds

A lovely evening swearing in the 2024 Officers of Metropolitan Women's Democratic Club

Committee on Executive Administration and Labor

Provided below is a comprehensive list of District agencies under my purview, accompanied by brief explanations of their missions.

Agencies & Service Entities Under This Committee

• Adult Career Pathways Task Force- Ensures that all District Residents have Access to Sustainable Employment and Economic Independence through Integrated Education, Training, and Career Services.

• Advisory Committee on Community Use of Public Space- Provides advice and recommendations to the DME regarding District policies and procedures related to community use of public spaces, including fields, gyms, classrooms, meeting rooms, and other District facilities. 

• Age-Friendly DC Task Force- Works to ensure that all DC residents are active, connected, healthy, engaged, and happy in their environment. The District’s Age-Friendly effort is starting with a focus on adults aged 50 and older.

• Apprenticeship Council- Promotes both pre-apprenticeship and registered apprenticeship (RA) work-based learning models. Apprenticeship DC serves as the District’s Statewide Apprentices Partner, assisting interested businesses in developing and implementing customized apprenticeship and pre-apprenticeship offerings that meet industry specific hiring and training needs.

• Board of Ethics and Government Accountability- Serves as the primary ethics enforcement agency for the District government.

• Campaign Finance Board- Appoints the Director of Campaign Finance and annually reviews the performance of the Director. The Board also administers and enforces campaign finance laws.

• Commission on Aging- Advises the Mayor, the Director of the Department of Aging and Community Living, the Council of the District of Columbia, and the public concerning the views and needs of the aged in the District of Columbia.

• Commission on the Martin Luther King, Jr. Holiday- The purpose of the Commission is to assist the Mayor on the District's celebration to commemorate the birth of Dr. King. The Commission recommends and helps to implement events to be sponsored by the District of Columbia government. They also encourage educational programs related to the holiday and the day of service.

• Department of Aging and Community Living- The Department of Aging and Community Living (DACL) serves District residents 60 and older, adults living with disabilities, and those who care for them. In partnership with more than 20 community-based organizations across the city, we offer more than 40 free or low-cost programs to help all District residents live boldly at any age, stage, or ability.

• Department of Employment Services- The Department of Employment Services (DOES) mission is to connect District residents, job seekers, and employers to opportunities and resources that empower fair, safe, effective working communities.

• Department of Human Resources- The DC Department of Human Resources (DCHR) provides human resource management services that strengthen individual and organizational performance and enable the District government to attract, develop and retain a well-qualified, diverse workforce.

• District of Columbia Board of Elections- The District of Columbia Board of Elections (DCBOE) is the independent agency of the District government responsible for the administration of elections, ballot access, and voter registration. DCBOE consists of three active Board members, an Executive Director, a General Counsel, and a number of support staff who run the day-to-day operations of the Agency.

• Employees’ Compensation Fund- The mission of the Employees’ Compensation Fund is to provide fiscal resources to administer the Public Sector Workers’ Compensation program for District of Columbia government employees and to pay the required claims costs of eligible claimants, pursuant to applicable District laws.

• Executive Office of the Mayor- Provides leadership, strategic direction, and policy guidance to the Executive Office of the Mayor, Deputy Mayors, and agencies.

• Financial Literacy Council- Empowers residents to achieve short- and long-term financial goals; Assist and advise the Mayor and the DC Council in promoting financial literacy in the District of Columbia; and facilitate the coordination of public and private financial literacy and education services.

• Mayor’s Office of Legal Counsel- The Mayor’s Office of Legal Counsel consists of a dedicated team of attorneys and support staff. The mission of the MOLC is to provide various legal services to the Mayor and District of Columbia agencies which are subordinate to the Mayor, particularly through work in conjunction with agency General Counsel and the supervisory and line attorneys working under them.

• Occupational Safety and Health Board- The Office of Occupational Safety and Health (OSH) provides onsite consultation services to private-sector employers in the District of Columbia. OSH assists employers in establishing and maintaining a safety and health management program that ensures, to the maximum extent possible, a safe, healthful work environment for employees.

• Office of Campaign Finance- The Office of Campaign Finance (OCF) regulates the reporting and disclosure of the financial operations and activities of candidates for local office, political committees, political action committees, independent expenditure committees, and the constituent service and statehood fund programs. Established within the District of Columbia Board of Elections, the OCF administers and enforces the campaign finance laws of the District of Columbia.

• Office of Employee Appeals- The D.C. Office of Employee Appeals (OEA) is an independent agency of the District government charged with ensuring that District agencies follow the law when they discipline their employees. OEA will hear employee appeals of adverse employment actions.

• Office of Labor Relations and Collective Bargaining-

• Office of the City Administrator- The Office of Labor Relations and Collective Bargaining (OLRCB) is a component of the Executive Office of the Mayor (EOM), Office of the City Administrator (OCA). The mission of the OLRCB is to effectively represent the District as the principal management advocate in the administration of a comprehensive labor management program.

• Office of the Inspector General- The OIG is an executive branch agency of the District of Columbia government that conducts audits, inspections, and investigations of government programs and operations. The OIG promotes economy, efficiency, and effectiveness, and detects and deters fraud, waste and mismanagement throughout the government.

• Office of the Secretary of the District of Columbia- The Office of the Secretary provides protocol, authentication and public records management services to the Mayor and District government agencies. In addition to managing the District of Columbia's Archives, commissioning all District of Columbia Notaries Public, and publishing the District of Columbia Register and the District of Columbia Municipal Regulations, the Office of the Secretary is responsible for maintaining official records of mayoral actions and preparing executive orders, proclamations, directives and administrative issuances.

• Office of the Senior Advisor- The Office of the Senior Advisor advises the Mayor on the local, regional, federal and international affairs by providing policy analysis and advancing the legislative agenda.

• Public Employee Relations Board- The Public Employee Relations Board (PERB) is an impartial, quasi-judicial, independent agency that resolves labor-management disputes between agencies of the District government and labor organizations representing agency employees.

• Unemployment Compensation Fund- The DC Office of Unemployment Compensation (OUC) is a resource to help DC residents, workers, and employers overcome workforce challenges. As one of the City’s economic first responders, the primary goal of the Unemployment Insurance (UI) program is to provide temporary wage replacement to eligible unemployed individuals. This support also helps to stimulate the local economy by maintaining a level of consumer spending during an economic decline.

• Unemployment Insurance Trust Fund- The Unemployment Insurance Trust Fund, administered by the Department of Employment Services (DOES), represents the proceeds from unemployment taxes paid by private sector employers and reimbursements from the District and federal governments deposited in the Unemployment Trust Fund (the “Fund”). The Fund is used to pay benefits for private and public sector employees during periods of unemployment. Payments include transfers to other governments to reimburse unemployment benefits paid to District residents.

• Universal Paid Leave Fund- The Universal Paid Leave Fund (UPLF) is used to fund paid family leave (PFL) benefits to eligible employees working in the District and to fund Department of Employment Services (DOES), Office of Paid Family Leave (OPFL) program administrative expenses. The PFL program provides up to 12 weeks of parental leave, 12 weeks of family leave, 12 weeks of medical leave, and two weeks of prenatal leave to eligible individuals. The UPLF is funded by 0.26 percent payroll tax on DC businesses.

• Workforce Investment Council- The WIC serves as the pivotal workforce policy and investment board for DC. Working directly with the American Job Centers we are dedicated to fostering connections between businesses, community-based organizations, and a skilled workforce. Through strategic initiatives and targeted training programs, we empower businesses to thrive, succeed, and contribute to the overall growth of the District.

• Workforce Investment Fund-fund compensation increases, for nonunion and union District employees, and any costs of reform initiatives.

• Youth Apprenticeship Advisory Committee- The Youth Apprenticeship Advisory Committee reviews and identifies ways to implement high school youth apprenticeship programs in the District of Columbia; and the means through which employers and organizations can obtain grants, tax credits, or other subsidies to support the establishment and operation of high school youth apprenticeship programs.

In addition, I serve on the committees of the following: 

• Committee of the Whole

• Committee on the Judiciary and Public Safety

• Committee on Business and Economic Development

• Committee on Recreation, Libraries and Youth Affairs

To join a hearing or see the hearing calendar, visit: https://lims.dccouncil.gov/hearings

Information about the Secure DC Omnibus Bill

The Council has passed, with amendments, the Secure DC Omnibus Bill. Secure DC includes over 100 legislative interventions and solutions that will make sustainable and meaningful improvements across the District to prevent crime, ensure accountability when crime does occur, and improve government coordination to make DC residents safer and more secure in our communities. This bill has been much discussed over the past year. Councilmember Pinto and the Committee on Judiciary and Public Safety, of which I am a member, held many hearings hearing testimony from residents, stakeholders, and Councilmembers to help shape and inform this landmark legislation. The Secure DC Omnibus includes provisions from Councilmember Pinto’s Secure DC Plan, along with many of the proposals from other colleagues and Mayor Bowser’s Safer Stronger and ACT Now bills. The Secure DC Omnibus includes the following initiatives, among others:  

• Prevention and Ending Cycles of Violence: Safe Commercial Corridors, Drug Free Zones, Hospitality Training, Pre-Arrest Diversion Task Force, Safe Transit Corridors, and Nutrition at DC Jail
• Accountability for Crime: Gun Penalties, Victim Protection, Carjacking, Retail Theft, Pre-Trial Detention, and Filling Gaps
• Government Coordination and Oversight: OUC Transparency, Fare Evasion, Vehicular Chases, Police Interactions, Body-Worn Cameras, DC Sentencing Commission, Gun Trafficking, and Data on Programs, Diversion, and Sentencing
• Protecting Vulnerable Populations: Increased Penalties for Crimes Against Seniors & Persons with Disabilities



Councilmember Bonds' Recently Introduced Legislation

Job Opportunities

For more job opportunities, visit here.

Resources

Are you taking advantage of the District's Homestead Deduction?

Homestead Deduction (Residential Only):

• This benefit reduces your real property's assessed value by $87,050 (savings of $739.93) prior to computing the yearly tax liability.

Senior Citizen/Disabled Owner Tax Relief

• When a property owner turns 65 years of age or older, or when he or she is disabled, he or she may file an application immediately for disabled or senior citizen property tax relief. This benefit reduces a qualified property owner's property tax by 50 percent. If the property owner lives in a cooperative housing association, the cooperative will supply and collect the applications.

Disabled Veterans Homestead Deduction

• Effective October 1, 2022, veterans who have been classified by the US Dept. of VA as having a total and permanent disability as a result of a service-incurred or service-aggravated condition or is paid at the 100% disability rating level as a result of unemployability, is eligible for reduction in assessed value of $445,000

For more information, visit the District Office of Tax and Revenues webpage by clicking HERE.

For assistance, Contact the Office of Tax and Revenue at (202) 727-4TAX

Free Income Tax Preparation Assistance from the DC Public Library

Feb. 1 - Apr. 15, 2024, the DCPL will host income tax return preparation for qualified residents. The library partners with the AARP Foundation to provide service to eight of our neighborhood locations. Please reach out to the number or email listed below for each location to schedule an appointment.

Documents to Bring to Your Appointment

• Social Security Cards (or ITIN letter) for the taxpayer and anyone claimed as a dependent
• Valid Photo ID for taxpayer and spouse (if filing jointly)
• All W-2’s, 1099’s, bank interest statements and other income information
• Record of expenses for tax credits and deductions (child care, education, student loans, medical expenses)
• Account and Routing Number for direct deposit of your refund
• Income statements for all your dependents (W2s, 1099-SSAs, etc.)
• Copy of your 2021 return if available
• 1095-A form if you purchased health insurance through the Marketplace/Exchange

For updates on tax assistance from other local organizations, please consult the following:

• The AARP Foundation: Call 202-642-9037 or dctaxaide.help@gmail.com.
• University of the District of Columbia (Reach by phone at 202-274-7002)
• DC Office of Tax and Revenue
• Internal Revenue Service

Additional Tax Credits to Consider

Keep Child Care Affordable Tax Credit: The District of Columbia Keep Child Care Affordable Tax Credit (formerly known as the “Early Learning Credit”) is a refundable income tax credit for money paid toward eligible child care expenses that are provided by a qualified child development facility. The credit is based on the amount of eligible child care expenses paid by the taxpayer per eligible child. For tax year 2023, the amount of the Keep Child Care Affordable Tax Credit is capped at $1,115 per eligible child.

For Additional Information, Click HERE.

Small Retailer Property Tax Credit: The Small Retailer Property Tax Relief Credit (SR Credit) is a refundable franchise tax credit that was enacted in the Fiscal Year 2019 Budget Support Act, effective October 30, 2018 (DC Law 22-0168) and is codified in DC Official Code §§ 47-1807.14 and 47-1808.14. The SR Credit is available to qualified businesses based on either the amount of real property taxes or a percentage of rent paid on a qualified retail location. The amount of the SR Credit is the lesser of $5,000 or (a) the real property taxes paid by the qualified business or (b) 10% of the rent or paid by the qualified business.

For Additional Information, Click HERE.

Fiscal Year 2025 DC Budget

Meet My Staff

I am thankful for the support, guidance, and dedication I receive from my entire team. In this newsletter, you'll have the pleasure of meeting Tamika and John, integral members of my team dedicated to assisting constituents and advancing our shared objectives as your At-Large Councilmember. Stay tuned for the next edition, where I'll introduce you to my Legislative Staff, whose diligent efforts have prepared me thoroughly for my recent legislative hearings.

Want to Meet with the Councilmember?

Neighbors, my office is available to you. I encourage you to reach out to me or my staff via phone or email for assistance. Please call my office at (202) 724-8064 or email any of my team members.

We host in-person community office hours every other Wednesday, from 3:00 pm-5:30 pm. If you are interested in participating, sign up here.

Staff



Julia Hudson- Chief of Staff │Email: jhudson@dccouncil.gov



Kevin B. Chavous - Committee Director / Chief of Communications │ Email: kchavous@dccouncil.gov

Aimellia Siemson - Senior Advisor & Counsel │ Email: asiemson@dccouncil.gov

John Fanning - Director of Constituent Services │ Email: jfanning@dccouncil.gov

Aniya Doleman - Communications Specialist │ Email: adoleman@dccouncil.gov

Tamika Finnell - Director of Workforce Outreach │ Email: tfinnell@dccouncil.gov

Emilie Delanois - Legislative Counsel | Email: edelanois@dccouncil.gov

Elspeth Callahan - Legislative Director | Email: ecallahan@dccouncil.gov



Jeanmarie Elican - Deputy Legislative Director │Email: jelican@dccouncil.gov

Scott Neall - Senior Legislative Analyst │ Email: sneall@dccouncil.gov

Natan "Tosha" Skolnik - Senior Research Analyst │ Email: nskolnik@dccouncil.gov

Patricia Elwood - Communications Specialist │ Email: pelwood@dccouncil.gov

Samantha Bond - Administrative Assistant | sbond@dccouncil.gov

Main Office Staff: (202) 724-8064

Committee Office Staff: (202) 724-8198

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