Jack Evans Report

It’s September and time to get back to work. I wrote last time about our local schools beginning a new school year. With Labor Day in the rearview mirror, it’s time for the city to get back to full life after the annual August slowdown.

Although the Council doesn’t formally meet between July 15 and Sept. 15, a Ward Councilmember’s work is never done. My staff and I were busy all summer long addressing constituent issues around the ward. While it seems like most people leave D.C. during August, government employees were hard at work fixing our streets, tending to our parks and working on some major construction projects across the ward. My office continues to work with different agencies to try to minimize the impact of these activities on our daily lives.

A few weeks ago, we had Ward 2 night at both the Nationals Park and the Shakespeare Theatre Company. These events are a great way to see so many of you in a fun environment. We announced information about both of these events via my e-newsletter list. If you would like to be notified about events like these in the future, and other happenings in the ward, you can sign up for my newsletter at www.jackevans.org.

The Council’s recess ends on Sept. 15, and the first Council legislative meeting will take place on Sept. 23. The Committee on Finance and Revenue, which I chair, will hold two hearings this month. On Sept. 18, we will take up a bill to create tax incentives to spur economic development along the Northeast New York Avenue corridor in Ward 5. On Sept. 24, we will have an oversight hearing to review the recently released Strategic Plan for his office and the city by the District of Columbia Chief Financial Officer Jeff DeWitt. To learn more, you can review the plan on the CFO’s website — cfo.dc.gov/publication/ocfo-strategic-plan.

The Council will review many important issues during the remainder of the year. One of my top priorities is the proposed new school boundary system. Does this new system put all of our students in a position to succeed? I have reviewed the proposal with Deputy Mayor for Education Abigail Smith and feel that it addresses some of the issues parents face in Ward 2 with limited middle schools and no open high school.  I will continue to work to make sure all Ward 2 students have access to quality schools at all levels. 

There are several other priorities of mine that I want to address in the remainder of the year.  I will continue to focus my energies on working to increase the number of police officers that make up our force. I have written and spoken about this issue many times and it remains a matter of great concern. In addition, the continuing problem of homelessness is something that the city must come together to address. I met this summer with representatives from the Department of Homeless Services and other government and non-governmental organizations to discuss this critical issue. It is not something that will be resolved easily but I will continue to work with the appropriate agencies to do as much as we can to help these individuals. Finally, the mayor and Council must continue to focus on economic development and job creation. These efforts not only generate tax revenue to fund important city services, but each new job we create can greatly improve the lives of individuals and families all across our city.

Councilmember Jack Evans represents Ward 2 of Washington, D.C., and is the longest-serving member of the District Council.