Dear Ward 5 neighbors,  I love being reminded of how green Ward 5 is every spring. Neighbors head back outside for sports practices, farmers markets, garden clubs, and more.  Each year, my team and I also host Healthy Communities Spring Cleaning, a series of community clean-ups to help keep Ward 5 beautiful and green. …

Dear Ward 5 neighbors,  Yesterday's youth-centered roundtable on "teen takeovers" was a powerful witness to the strength of our community and the ability of our young people to create solutions. Earlier this week, I sent a letter to the Mayor and Chairman detailing aspects of what I believe could get us started on a comprehensive youth agenda that…

Dear Ward 5 neighbors,  It's filling our news cycles, social media feeds, and Council debates: the conversation about "teen takeovers" and how to respond. For months, large gatherings of youth in neighborhoods like Navy Yard, the Wharf, and U Street have led to a variety of responses from neighbors and lawmakers alike. Our screens are filled with images of the National…

Dear Ward 5 neighbors,  With DC Public Schools on spring break, the Council on a brief recess before budget oversight, and DC Emancipation Day yesterday, it was a quiet week in the Wilson building. Even still, my team and I are hard at work preparing for budget hearings, following up on constituent services requests, and connecting…

Dear Ward 5 neighbors,  Last year, the Office of Planning began work to fully rewrite the District's Comprehensive Plan for the first time in nearly 20 years. Often called the "Comp Plan," it is a high-level guide that sets a positive, long-term vision for the District through the lens of its physical growth, equity, and change.…

Dear Ward 5 neighbors, I am often reminded that there are some things you can only understand and address when you experience them first-hand. This is true in my office's advocacy for improved bus service in Ward 5, oversight of the District's youth services agencies, in my own personal experience of skyrocketing energy bills, and in response to constituent services needs.  Keep…

Dear Ward 5 neighbors,  Thousands of District residents are at risk as a number of potential budget cuts threaten to create a storm of crises. The Mayor has shared her intention to make significant cuts to the Child Care Subsidy, slash the Early Childhood Educator Pay Equity Fund, continue rollbacks of TANF (Temporary Assistance for Needy Families), and we anticipate…

Dear Ward 5 neighbors,  After weeks of input from you through the Ward 5 Budget Forum, Ward 5 Budget Survey, and countless conversations and meetings held over several months to discuss the District's budget, I sent my FY27 Budget Letter to Mayor Bowser earlier this week. This letter details the priorities I am eyeing as…

Dear Ward 5 neighbors,  I know there's been a lot of back and forth about the DC tax drama, and I've heard from many of you that it is confusing to keep track of all the developments. Here's a quick timeline of the facts and an update on where things stand (the short version: you can…

Dear Ward 5 neighbors,  The annual Ward 5 Awards Ceremony is coming up on April 1, but before we get there, we need you to submit nominations! If you haven't yet, please take a moment to think about a remarkable community member who makes Ward 5 a better place. If you know someone who has gone out of their way to…