Performance and Budget Oversight Hearings

Greetings Ward 8,

Just a few weeks ago, we were celebrating a new year. And just as we started the month of January by setting goals and reflecting, that is also how we should close it.

As I continue to plan and reflect on the upcoming performance and budget oversight hearings, I am reminded of the FY 23 billion-dollar budget and how we have allocated your tax dollars. This year, I am convinced more than ever that we have an obligation to our constituents to make certain that the appropriate budget funding is reaching our areas of the greatest needs. I will focus my priorities on education, public safety and advocating for increased funding in out-of-school programming. These are my priorities. However, I really want and need to hear from you as to what you and your families need to thrive in our community. Performance and budget oversight hearings started today and will end on April 13^th. I encourage you to sign up to testify about your priorities before the members of the Council.

I recognize that not everyone will be able to attend a hearing at the Wilson Building. Therefore, I have decided to host a budget meeting in the Ward, which is tentatively scheduled for February 16^th. We are in the process of finalizing details and will update you over the next few days. I hope you will join me to share your vision for a greater Ward 8. We are better together.

It is my pleasure to serve as your Ward 8 Councilmember.

Peace and love,
Trayon White, Sr.
Councilmember, Ward 8


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** Register for MPD Prospect Day on Saturday, 1/28 at 8:30 am!
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Looking for a new career in the new year? Join us on
Saturday, January 28th at 8:30 am for MPD Prospect Day! Prospect Day allows you to complete multiple hiring steps in one day, without having to make multiple trips to the Department. So, what are you waiting for? Visit JOINMPD.DC.GOV ([link removed]) to register for an MPD Prospect Day today! Please note that if you register for our
1/28 Prospect Day, you will be entered into a drawing to win a $50.00 Amazon gift card on site at Prospect Day.

Friendly reminder that we are also now offering a $20k hiring bonus and $6k in temporary housing. We look forward to seeing you there!

If you aren't able to attend MPD's Saturday Prospect. Day, you can register for another date at JOINMPD.DC.GOV ([link removed]) , or by clicking on the below link.

Thank you and we look forward to you joining our team,
MPD Recruiting Division
202-645-0445
[email protected] (mailto:[email protected])


REGISTER FOR MPD PROSPECT DAY ([link removed])
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Mayor Muriel Bowser and Amber Hewitt, Director of the Mayor’s Office of Racial Equity (ORE), released the District’s first-ever Racial Equity Action Plan ([link removed]) , a three-year roadmap outlining actions that the District will take to close racial equity gaps and measure progress toward a more equitable DC.

Residents can provide feedback on the plan by accessing the online submission form. Deadline has been extended. See below for a list of locations to obtain a copy of the plan.
[link removed]
CLICK HERE TO FILL OUT COMMENT FORM ([link removed])
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** Quick Links
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* Need a Test? Get a Test: Learn more about COVID-19 testing sites ([link removed])
* Check out the 2020 Ward 8 Progress Report ([link removed])
* Check out the 2021 Ward 8 Progress Report ([link removed])

Grandmother and granddaughter receive Council of the District of Columbia Resolutions.

On Monday, January 23rd, Councilmember White presented Elvera Patrick and Heaven Winborne with Resolutions for their community service work in the community.

Elvera Patrick is a native Washingtonian and Ward Eight resident with a strong desire to give back to the community. Elvera saw the need for childcare services and opened her home as a Family Child Care Home. She founded Royal Tea Events where she hosts tea parties for young and old to learn proper etiquette.

Elvera is a creative seamstress and designer, who shares her passion for fashion design and garment by giving sewing lessons. Since the pandemic, Elvera has made hundreds of masks and donated them to United Medical Children’s Center, frontline workers, and community.

She enjoys competing in Beauty Pageants and has received several titles. In 2018, Elvera’s home, The Pink Palace, was enshrined into the Library of Congress in the American Folk Life Center Reading Room.
Heaven Winborne, a Ward 8 resident, traveled to Orlando, Florida and competed at the 2022 Miss American Teenager national competition August 3-7, 2022 where girls from around the country competed for 3 national titles, a prize package worth over $100,000 and the honor to represent the teens of the United States. Heaven was successful in her bid and the judges crowned her Miss American Preteenager 2023.
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Parents Amplifying Voices in Education (PAVE)
On Monday, January 23, Parents Amplifying Voices in Education (PAVE) visited the Wilson Building and met with Councilmember White to discuss their priorities and concerns regarding education.

The PAVE parents, all of which were Ward 7 or Ward 8 residents, discussed increasing the programming and investment into Out-Of-School-Time, but also raised concerns around transportation and safety while getting their children to and from the activities they currently are involved in.

Councilmember White detailed his priorities for education, of which Out-Of-School-Time was of the utmost importance. He detailed how the FY23 budget had money for Out-Of-School-Time activities across different agencies, including DCPS, DPR and DC Public Library, to give a wider array of programming and locations for enrichment.

He also discussed his focus on before and after care for schools, mental health programs, concerns with modernizations and repairs at DCPS schools, STEM/STEAM programming in schools and homelessness of youth, which he stated added to the crime of some youth.

He also discussed his new mentorship program HEROES that he has recently launched in several middle schools, beginning with Kramer Middle School.

They discussed increasing the age for Out-Of-School-Time programs, which currently stop at age 12. They believe that programs should not only go through high school, but also track students that have graduated high school to keep them enriched as well. They also discussed the Cadet program, which is focused on DCPS students entering the police and fire department upon their graduation from high school and felt that there needs to be more focus to increase the number of students in the program. At Anacostia High School, for example, only four students have gone into the Cadet program in the last four years.

PAVE parents also discussed their issues with registration with DPR programs, for which the Councilmember discussed potential legislation to allow for residents within proximity to recreation centers should get a window period to register for events before they go public to ensure that the community gets priority access.

PAVE parents also requested $9 million ($105,000 per school) for community based organizations (CBOs) to provide mental health and trauma based services at schools. One parent discussed the potential of including meditation to schools, as it has worked wonders for her family.

Councilmember White is looking forward to continuing these conversations, creating solutions, and building upon an already close relationship with the dedicated parents of PAVE.
_______________________________________________________________The Committee on Recreation, Libraries and Youth Affairs (RLYA) will hold an Organizational Meeting to consider and vote on the Council Period 25 Committee Rules and Committee Staff Appointments. Kyle Yeldell joined the Committee staff in 2021 as Policy Analyst and will be reappointed. Marketta Buchanan came on board in 2022 as Committee Clerk. SaFiya Hoskins, PhD, JD started with Councilmember White’s Ward 8 team in 2020 as Legislative Assistant, followed by Senior Legislative Assistant, then Legislative Director and will be appointed as Committee Director at the Organizational Meeting this month. Tentatively scheduled for 1/26/23 at 2pm.

On Tuesday, January 31 at noon, the Committee will convene a Public Roundtable for the Director of the Office of Cable Television, Film, Media, and Entertainment LaToya Foster Confirmation Resolution of 2023. Director Foster is a native Washingtonian and a seasoned communications veteran, with over two decades of experience in television, radio, and communications.

Also on January 31^, the Committee will hold a Performance Oversight Hearing for the Mayor’s Office on African Affairs, the Mayor’s Office on African American Affairs and the Mayor’s Office on Asian and Pacific Islander Affairs. These agencies provide vital resources to the communities they serve.
The following day, Wednesday, February 1, there will be a Performance Oversight Hearing for the DC Public Library. DC Public Library was established in 1896 by an act of Congress.
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Legislative Happenings
The Council Committees have been preparing for a busy Council Period 25 by holding their first organizational meetings. During these meetings, each Committees’ Rules of Organization and Procedure and staff appointments are considered. In addition to serving as Chairperson of the Committee on Recreation, Libraries, and Youth Affairs, Councilmember White will serve as a member on the Committee of the Whole, the Committee on Executive Administration and Labor, the Committee on Hospital and Health Equity, and the Committee on Public Works and Operations. All of Councilmember White’s committees held successful organizational meetings where rules and appointments were approved unanimously.

Performance oversight hearings begin this week. Each agency has an annual performance oversight hearing early in the calendar year to report on programs, policies, and procedures that have been successful, address areas that need additional support, and consider changes that need to be made moving forward. Councilmember White is looking forward to reviewing the progress of the District’s agencies while ensuring that each office remains transparent and accountable.
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** Staff Updates
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Name: Richard Grant
Job Title: Legislative Director

This week, Councilmember Trayon White, Sr. welcomed a new Legislative Director to the team. Richard Grant is no stranger to the halls of the John A. Wilson Building. He comes to the Council from the Committee on Labor and Workforce Development. Prior to his role on the Committee, he worked for the Department of Employment Services and in the Legislative Services Division of the Council. His experience will surely add great value to advancing Councilmember White’s legislative priorities in service of Ward 8 and the District. Learn more about Richard below.

What are some specific duties you do at work?
I analyze and draft District laws according to the policy positions of Councilmember White, which are driven by the needs and requests of Ward 8 residents.

What's your favorite food?
Curry chicken roti with slight pepper and tamarin sauce.

What's your favorite movie?
Apocalypto

What's something you're proud of?
My parents: they are generous, kind, and hard working. More and more, I appreciate the sacrifices they made for myself and my siblings growing up.

Do you have any hidden talents or hobbies?
I play trumpet and piano. On stage, I am called “Trumpet Richie”.

Are you a morning person or a night person?
Night!

When you were a kid, what did you want to be when you grew up?
I wanted to play in the NBA, specifically for my hometown Knicks.

What motivates you at work?
Knowing that the work is necessary and impactful to the lives of people and being grateful for the opportunity to serve.

What's your favorite work-related memory?
Student-teaching at Plummer Elementary and dunking on cocky middle schoolers who had given me a hard time in the classroom.

Where do you see yourself in 5 years.
Practicing law and performing and producing music.

What's your greatest accomplishments thus far?
I produced the best kids on Earth!

What do you love about Ward 8?
I love having access by car, bike, and Metro to most of the city and surrounding areas, and how everyone who grew up in the city seems to know each other, which is different from larger New York.

What else do you want to share about yourself?
I was born in Trinidad and raised in Brooklyn New York. I came to DC for undergrad and am an alumnus of Howard University (Bison! You Know!)) and UDC law. Since law school, I’ve worked for the late Jim Graham and Elissa Silverman at the Council, as well as the Office of the Secretary and at the Department of Employment Services.

Please feel free to drop Richard a line of congratulations or you may wish to send him some legislative thoughts. Richard may be contacted at 202-724-8045 or [email protected] (mailto:[email protected]) .
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We are happy to announce that Dr. SaFiya Hoskins has accepted a new role in the Office of Councilmember White as Committee Director. Dr. Hoskins has the responsibility of managing the oversight components of the Committee on Recreation, Libraries and Youth Affairs. Dr. Hoskins started her legislative career with Councilmember White in 2020 and has served as Legislative Assistant and most recently, Legislative Director. She may be reached at 202-724-8045 or [email protected].
Hours of operation:
Monday - Friday from 9:00am - 5:30pm
CLOSED Saturday, Sunday & Holidays

Louise Thorne: [email protected] (mailto:[email protected])
Constituent Services Specialist
DC Public Schools
DC Housing Authority
Department of Human Services
Utilities: PEPCO, DC Water, Washington Gas
Office of the State Superintendent of Education

Eric Cleckley: [email protected] (mailto:[email protected])
Constituent Services Specialist
District Department of Transportation
Department of Consumer and Regulatory Affairs
Department of Energy and Environment

For all other constituent services concerns, please contact Wanda Lockridge, Chief of Staff at [email protected].

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