V4
Wednesday, april 8, 2015
Ward 4 seat d.C. CounCil
acqunetta anderson
The CurrenT
leon t. andrews Jr.
Ward 4 Q&a From Page V1 and recommended by chief financial officer. Toliver: Only under emergency circumstances such as shut down of public safety with mayor, chief financial officer and council approval. ■ Would doing so increase our interest expenses and possibly make it more difficult to float bond issues? Anderson: I need to study it more. Andrews: Yes, absolutely. Austin: I doubt it. Bowser: Only if we continued to do it many times. Corley-Bowman: I don’t think so with our vitality. Jones: Definitely, yes. Powell: It probably would. Sloan: Yes. Tengen: Yes. Todd: Yes. Toliver: It would depend upon the amount. ■ Over 60 percent of District government employees live outside the District, so we don’t collect their income taxes. What if anything should be done about it? Anderson: Require that they move into the city within a given period of time and offer them assistance to do so. Andrews: I need to know more about our options. Austin: There should be an answer, but I don’t know what it is. Bowser: Build more affordable housing, especially for District employees. Corley-Bowman: Give preference to District residents. Jones: There should be a more restrictive residency policy for city employees. It might be illegal. Powell: Request money from Congress for use of our streets. Not much can be done given the Home Rule Charter. Sloan: Look at a sunset income tax break if they live here for a prolonged period. Tengen: Increase affordable housing, giving preference to District employees. Todd: Look at ways to employ more D.C. residents. We can’t legally mandate it. Toliver: We could legally require more upper-level managers to be District employees. ■ Many relatively new luxury goods stores such as Tiffany & Co. are located in Tysons Corner and on Wisconsin Avenue just across the District line. Would you support giving developers tax incentives to bring them here, hoping to increase our real estate and retail sales tax revenue? Anderson: Yes, if they hire District residents. Andrews: No. Austin: No. Bowser: No. Corley-Brown: No, as owners of milliondollar condos will attract that business anyway. Jones: No. I think they will eventually come. It’s unnecessary. Powell: As long as they hire mostly
ron austin
renée Bowser Gwenellen CorleyBowman
District residents. Sloan: Yes. They pay high wages if they hire a high percentage of D.C. residents. Tengen: Yes, if jobs for D.C. residents were included. Todd: Many are here or are coming. I’d not support a tax break just for a Tiffany’s. Toliver: No. They’ll come here due to our booming economy. ■ What about anchor retailers — department stores that normally do not pay rent when they anchor suburban shopping centers? Anderson: Yes, if they hire District residents. Andrews: It depends on the package; it could revitalize an area. Austin: No. Bowser: Possibly a minor break. Corley-Bowman: No. Jones: For a certain amount of time, but not forever. Powell: Yes, if they hire mostly District residents. Sloan: Yes, if they a high percentage of D.C. residents. Tengen: No, as we have a strong number now. Todd: It would depend on the project. Toliver: No. It’s a slippery slope. ■ Tech firms now receive tax rates comparable to Virginia’s. District residents investing in such local firms get lower capital gains taxes. Are there any other classifications of District business that should receive this benefit? Anderson: Perhaps services based on education. Andrews: Uncertain, but would consider proposals. Austin: Perhaps health care to bring down its costs. Bowser: Yes, for other firms based on science and green technology. Corley-Bowman: For-profit education services such as Kaplan, and job-training services. Jones: Possibly incubator businesses. Powell: Small business start-ups for a short period of time. Sloan: Possibly for film industry. Tengen: Extend it to small businesses for the first two years they are here, as they are most apt to hire locally. Todd: No. Toliver: Add research and development laboratories, investment houses and locally chartered banks. ■ What approaches, if any, should be taken to decrease the likelihood of lowerincome, long-term District residents being forced from their homes by increased real estate values and taxes? Or are the recent changes adequate? Anderson: Lower-income citizens should be exempted from real estate taxes. Andrews: Increase enforcement of rent control laws. Austin: Uncertain. Bowser: Budget for property tax exemption for lower-income seniors who’ve been in their homes over 20 years; strengthen rent control; have moratorium on destroying public housing. Corley-Bowman: Educate residents to better manage their homeownership. Offer
Judi Jones
edwin W. Powell
grants and low-interest loans for home maintenance. Jones: We need to take a look at that. I’m uncertain. Powell: We need more staff in the Office of the Tenant Advocate to ensure that tenants have due process and that landlords aren’t using hardship petitions to arbitrarily raise rents. Sloan: Limit increases in real estate taxes for seniors earning under $100,000 to what they would pay at the time they purchased their house. Tengen: The recent changes are probably adequate, but more study is needed. Todd: The city should have more rent subsidies for low-income and senior citizens. Toliver: Enforce existing inclusionary zoning laws and eliminate waivers and exceptions. Consider micro-housing for seniors, teachers, nurses and first responders with District financial assistance. ■ Our corporate profits taxes are considerably higher than Virginia’s but comparable with Maryland’s. Our corporate real estate taxes are far higher than either one. Should there be an effort to reduce them to better compete? Anderson: Yes. Andrews: Yes, but I’m happy the way it is now. Austin: I think yes for corporate profits taxes. Bowser: Only in return for hiring more D.C. residents or other trade-offs. Corley-Bowman: Not with the upcoming deficit. Jones: No. Powell: I think yes for job creation, if the sales tax is raised. Sloan: We’re fine. No changes are needed. Tengen: Not until we can tax people who work here but do not live here. Todd: Yes, especially the franchise (profits) tax. Toliver: No, due to the resurgence of the District. Businesses are coming here. ■ If yes, how would you make up for the lost revenue? Anderson: First determine what revenue would be gained. The chief financial officer would have to give his opinion. Austin: Don’t give other corporations tax exemptions. Get federal government and mega-churches to make payments in lieu of taxes on their land. Powell: Raise the sales tax and taxes on alcohol and cigarettes. Todd: Properly classify vacant properties, which have a higher tax rate. ■ Should the sales tax include services such as gym memberships? Anderson: No. Andrews: No. Austin: No. Bowser: Yes. Corley-Bowman: No. Jones: No. Powell: No. Sloan: No. Tengen: Yes. Todd: No. It could deter people from healthy exercise. Toliver: No.
douglass sloan
Bobvala tengen
■ What additional steps, if any, should be taken to help former prison inmates find jobs? Anderson: Focus on training, based on their skills and available jobs. Get the Department of Employment Services to develop a program. Andrews: Better training, education with credentials and mentoring programs. Austin: Bring prisoners closer to the city so we can rehabilitate them. Bowser: Use recreation centers for job training; provide food stamps and other benefits they cannot get from the federal government. Corley-Bowman: Offer educational programs to help inmates be placed into viable jobs. Jones: Get them the right to vote. Powell: Ensure that “ban the box” legislation is adhered to and expand programs to help returning citizens find employment. Sloan: Have city-sponsored mentorship programs to help them develop employable skills. Tengen: We need a much stronger returning citizens program that will work to find employers willing to give them a second chance. Todd: Office on Returning Citizen Affairs should work more closely with the Department of Employment Services to develop programs for long-term employment. Toliver: Use underutilized school buildings for vocational training when they return. Provide post-release counseling, outreach services and job skills. Reward employers. ■ What steps should be taken to improve public education? Anderson: Look at best practices in our best schools and implement them in the lower-performing schools. Andrews: Stronger middle school options, partnerships with community organizations, better teacher training. Austin: Make charter schools and D.C. Public Schools work closer together, including a unified boundary system. Bowser: Ensure that all public schools have same level of curriculum as premier schools and similar physical plants. Corley-Bowman: Wraparound services in all schools, educational support and increased salaries for teachers. Jones: Continue building improvements. Bring back trade and business courses. Powell: Expand early childhood education. Increase vocational education. Focus on graduation rates and test scores. Sloan: Cooperative plan between the Public Charter School Board and D.C. Public Schools to have good neighborhood schools throughout city. Tengen: Strengthen middle schools, help parents of students who hold jobs. Todd: Attract and retain best school leadership, more parental engagement and work with community on appropriate curriculum. Toliver: Convert campuses to neighborhood centers during evenings and weekends. Offer greater technology and other resources in schools. ■ Some say test score increases indicate
V-2 / APRIL 2015 / The Washington Informer & The Current Newspapers General Election Voters Guide
Brandon todd
dwayne M. toliver
that the present education system, while still having a long way to go, is making real progress and any new D.C. Council laws might interfere with the mayor’s ability to run the system. Do you agree? Anderson: No. The council should be involved. Andrews: No. Austin: No. Bowser: No. Corley-Bowman: No. Jones: It depends on the law. It might be an improvement. Powell: No. Sloan: No. Tengen: No. New legislation will not affect our recent progress. Todd: Yes. The council should work more collaboratively with the chancellor. Toliver: No. ■ Many Crestwood and 16th Street Heights residents are upset that children from their neighborhoods will eventually be unable to go to Deal Middle and Wilson High schools, which are now significantly overcrowded. What should be done about it? [Editor’s note: Interviews took place before Mayor Bowser implemented the deputy mayor’s recommended changes to the boundary changes.] Anderson: The mayor has taken steps to postpone the changes. We need a Ward 4 middle school like Deal. Give Coolidge High a “school within a school” as selective as School Without Walls. Andrews: Allow those neighborhoods’ children to continue at Deal and Wilson and increase investments in middle and high school options in Ward 4. Austin: That’s why I want integrated boundaries with charter schools. Bowser: Have three- to five-year moratorium and upgrade Ward 4 schools on a fast track. Corley-Bowman: Re-evaluate boundaries. Jones: We’ll see what the new boundaries are. Powell: Try to get a moratorium passed on changing the boundaries and focus efforts to improve Coolidge and Roosevelt. Sloan: Focus on improving Roosevelt, where Ward 4 residents will have far more control than they would have at Wilson. Tengen: Reopen MacFarland Middle School and open a new one catering to students in the northern part of Ward 4. Improve Roosevelt. Todd: I want to see the new deputy mayor’s school boundary proposals. Must work faster with better options. Toliver: Keep them in the current DealWilson feeder pattern. Improve neighborhood schools. ■ Would the creation of a very demanding “high-tech” school within a school program similar to Silver Spring’s Montgomery Blair at either Roosevelt or Coolidge help solve the problem? Anderson: Yes. Andrews: No, but it’s a part of a good solution. Austin: Uncertain. Bowser: It might. Corley-Bowman: Yes, if managed correctly. Jones: I think so. Page V3V6 See Ward 4 Q&a/Page