Silverman, Nadeau Request Attorney General’s Opinion on $46 Million Tax Abatement for Line Hotel After D.C. Hiring Requirements Not Met

Posted by Ashley Fox on May 08, 2019 at 1:00 PM

D.C. Councilmembers Elissa Silverman (I-At Large) and Brianne Nadeau (D-Ward 1) sent a letter earlier this week asking D.C. Attorney General Karl Racine to give his legal opinion on whether the executive branch has authority to waive District resident hiring requirements put into law as conditions for the Line Hotel receiving a $46 million tax abatement. The D.C. Council passed special legislation in 2011 requiring the hotel to meet specific hiring targets beyond the District’s First Source hiring law in order to receive the subsidy. The Line Hotel opened last year in the Adams Morgan neighborhood of Ward 1 and is still in the process of being deemed eligible for the tax abatement.

Committee on Labor and Workforce Development Prioritizes Funding Programs that Advance Residents on Path to Employment in Fiscal Year 2020

Posted by Ashley Fox on May 02, 2019 at 3:56 PM

In a unanimous vote yesterday, the Committee on Labor and Workforce Development, chaired by Councilmember Elissa Silverman (I-At Large), approved budget and policy recommendations for upcoming Fiscal Year 2020 that put an emphasis on investing in programs that have data-driven track records of putting D.C. residents on paths to work. In statements supporting the decisions, each Committee member stressed how critical agencies under the Committee’s jurisdiction are to ensuring all residents, especially returning citizens, benefit from the city’s prosperity. Agencies under the Committee’s purview include the D.C. Department of Employment Services, the Workforce Investment Council, and the D.C. Department of Human Resources.

“We have designed programs to help residents get work, particularly in our high-demand industries, yet the numbers don’t point to success. Data has been either unclear or in some cases unavailable to the Committee,” Silverman said. “However, anecdotal evidence from residents who testified at hearings was straightforward: Many of our high-profile workforce programs are not delivering what was promised to get our residents into jobs and put them on paths to long-term career success. The status-quo of spending lots of money on programs that don’t help our residents can’t continue.”

Newsletter: A Personal Note

Posted by Elissa Silverman on April 23, 2019 at 4:48 PM

Dear Resident,

This morning, I bike commuted. I did it because of Dave Salovesh, who lost his life last Friday while doing the very same thing on Florida Avenue NE in our city.

I could have been Dave.

Or Malik Habib, who died while cycling on the 300 block of H Street NE just two blocks from my house. I pass his white ghost bike almost every day, and every time I think that I really could have been Malik. I have a permanent scar on my right knee because my bike tire got caught in the streetcar track just like Malik’s did, but I was lucky that after I flipped over my bike and lay on the street there were no oncoming cars or buses.

Newsletter: It's Still Budget Season!

Posted by Elissa Silverman on April 09, 2019 at 11:18 AM

Dear Resident,

Budget season is in full swing! These are your taxpayer dollars, so please check the budget hearing schedule and budget office website to see when agencies and issues you care about will come before the Council. If you cannot make a hearing in-person and want to share your thoughts with me, please feel free to call my office or email me directly. Either way, remember that this is your time to let me and my colleagues know what investments matter most to you.

Newsletter: It's Budget Time!

Posted by Elissa Silverman on March 21, 2019 at 5:55 PM

Dear Resident,

It’s officially spring! Sure, there’s the spring equinox yesterday and the soon-to-be-blooming cherry blossoms, but at the Wilson Building spring means budget season! In fact, Mayor Muriel Bowser released her proposed Fiscal Year 2020 budget yesterday, which officially kicks off the Council's budget discussions over the next two months. Thank you to the many residents who offered testimony at the Council’s performance oversight hearings in February and March. Your insights and recommendations help shape our priorities for the budget next year.

If you didn’t get a chance to share your input at performance oversight hearings—and even if you did—I have good news! You get another bite at the apple during budget hearings throughout the rest of March and into April. Make sure to look at the budget hearing schedule and new budget office website to see when committees will be reviewing agency budgets and taking a closer look at whether funding is being put to its best use. These are your tax dollars. Tell us how you think they should be spent.

Silverman Applauds Launch of Reverse Mortgage Relief Program for District Seniors

Posted by Ashley Fox on March 20, 2019 at 12:01 PM

D.C. Councilmember Elissa Silverman (I-At Large) applauded the launch this month of a new assistance program for District seniors who are at risk of foreclosure due to unpaid property taxes after taking out a reverse mortgage. The program was created out of the Reverse Mortgage Foreclosure Prevention Act of 2017, a bill that Councilmember Silverman introduced last council period and worked to fund in this year’s budget.

“This program means that a senior is no longer at risk of losing their longtime home simply because they were unaware or unable due to declining health to pay property taxes and other home related expenses,” said Silverman.

Newsletter: Celebrating Black History Month and More!

Posted by Elissa Silverman on February 12, 2019 at 4:13 PM

Dear Resident,

I am amazed we are already in mid-February!

This year, our office is celebrating Black History Month both at the Wilson Building and in the community! I hope you’ll join us for one or both events. On Friday, Feb. 22, from 2:15-3:15pm, the Council will host its annual program at the Wilson Building. Then on Sunday, Feb. 24, from 2:00-3:30pm, I invite you to join me at the Smithsonian’s Anacostia Community Museum for a docent-led tour of the museum’s latest exhibit, A Right to the City. The exhibit takes an in-depth look at how Washingtonians have shaped and reshaped six neighborhoods over the last five decades, with a special lens on the African-American experience. The tour will be followed by a reception and a DC Strings performance of notable works composed by African-American writers. It’s a great way to celebrate Black History Month, learn more about our city, and build community while enjoying music and munchies. I hope you will make plans to join us!

Silverman Introduces Bills to Lower Student Loan Debt and Increase Oversight of Affordable Housing Development

Posted by Ashley Fox on February 06, 2019 at 1:32 PM

D.C. Councilmember Elissa Silverman (I-At Large) yesterday introduced legislation that would help District residents afford higher education by making low-interest student loans available through a new D.C.-backed finance authority, as well as a bill to shine more light on how D.C. government decides to spend taxpayer dollars on affordable housing development.

“Lowering student loan debt not only makes higher education more affordable, but it also helps our residents save and work toward other life goals, such as renting or buying a home,” Silverman said. “These bills might not seem related, but they are: We need to make sure when residents work hard in school and get a job they want, there’s housing in this city that they can afford.”

CP 23 Labor Committee Organizational Meeting Materials

Posted by Sam Rosen-Amy on January 15, 2019 at 6:14 PM

On Wednesday, January 16th, at 1pm, the Committee on Labor and Workforce Development will hold its Council Period 23 organizational meeting in Room 123 of the John A. Wilson Building, to consider the following items:

Newsletter: New Year’s Resolutions: Theatre, Basketball & Good Legislation!

Posted by Elissa Silverman on January 11, 2019 at 4:06 PM

Dear Resident,

Happy New Year!

Thanks to all who started 2019 with me and my staff at my swearing-in and office open house! I’m excited to serve residents and businesses across the District for another four years!

Before I get to details from the D.C. Council’s first full legislative meeting of the year, I want to extend TWO FREE ticket offers so you can make good on resolutions to take advantage of the great arts and entertainment events in our city:

Silverman Night at Studio Theatre: I’m excited to host my third community night with Studio Theatre and invite you to their latest production, Admissions, on Thursday, January 17, at 8:00 pm! Studio Theatre continues to be a wonderful local partner in making sure the arts remain accessible to District residents. I have 50 free tickets available to District residents that can be reserved here. Tickets are first come, first served with a limit of two per person. The form will stay open until all tickets have been distributed! See you at the show!