This is an incomplete list of people and faces to watch in politics
and policy in the District of Columbia. It’s an unofficial directory, address book, and
telephone listing of who’s who in District government and in the organizations that
influence and run DC government behind the scenes. The Advisory
Commission on Sentencing was established by the Council of the District of Columbia in
1998 to review and analyze sentencing data, and to make recommendations regarding criminal
sentencing reforms. Advisory Neighborhood Commissioners are the lowest, most local
level of elected government officials. Each Commissioner represents about two thousand
residents, and is elected to a two-year term in non-partisan contests at the general
election in November. Commissioners are unpaid, and have no real authority or power — but
their advice is supposed to be given "great weight" by District government
officials, departments, and agencies. Commissioners are grouped into Commissions. Each of
the eight wards of the city has between three and six Commissions. The Office of the Attorney General,
formerly the Office of the Corporation Counsel, is the legal office
that represents the Corporation (the government) of the District of Columbia. The Auditor does investigative audits of
District government departments, agencies, and programs for the DC City Council. Some of
its audits are available on-line here. The Board of Elections and Ethics is
an independent Board whose members are nominated by the Mayor and approved
by the City Council; it registers voters and conducts elections, and it
oversees adherence to the election laws and campaign ethics regulations of
the District. The Business Regulatory Reform Commission has issued a report
recommending changes to business regulations, zoning regulations, the structure of boards
and commissions, and other areas. The Office of Campaign Finance enforces
District laws regarding both financing of campaigns and ethical standards
for government personnel. The Chief Financial Officer is responsible for all fiscal
dealings of the District of Columbia, including overseeing preparation of the City’s
budget, performing the annual audit, and interfacing with Wall Street and the bond market. The Chief Management Officer works on behalf of
the Control Board to bring about management reform to several areas of the district
government. The Office of the Chief Technology Officer “develops
and enforces policies and standards for information technology in the
District government. OCTO identifies where and how technology can
systematically support the business processes of the District’s 68 agencies.
Agencies can draw on OCTO’s expertise to get the most out of their
technological investments. OCTO also assesses new and emerging technologies
to determine their potential application to District programs and services.
Finally, OCTO promotes the compatibility of computer and communications
systems throughout the District government.” Child and Family Services The City Council is the legislative arm of the
District government. It makes the laws and is responsible for oversight of the Departments
and Agencies of the executive branch. The city council has thirteen members. Look here for
pending legislation. The Congress has Constitutional authority to govern the
District of Columbia. Some testimony before Congressional committees; the District of
Columbia Congressional delegation; and the membership, addresses, telephone numbers and
primary staffers of the Congressional committees that provide
oversight over Washington, DC, are provided here. The Office of Contracting and Procurement handles purchasing and
procurement for government offices. DC2000 is a "coalition of business and community leaders
that works toward bipartisan economic solutions for the District of Columbia." Its
member organizations are listed on this page. The DC Agenda Project is an influential behind-the-scenes
group that was created by the Federal City Council. It lobbies for the interests of large
businesses and large non-profit contractors with both the District and federal
governments. The Department of Consumer and Regulatory
Affairs The Deputy Mayor for Children, Youth, and Families
oversees those parts of the government, especially human services, that deal with these
constituencies. The Department of Employment Services The Fire and Emergency Services Department handles fire,
medical, and other non-criminal emergency services. Freedom of Information Officers process freedom of
information requests at various agencies and departments. See also a sample
FOI form. The Department of Health The Homeland Security and Emergency Management Agency,
formerly the Emergency Management Agency The Department of Housing and Community Development The
Department of Human Services The Inspector General is the executive branch’s equivalent
of the City Council’s DC Auditor, but the office was made independent of the Mayor by the
same federal legislation that created the Control Board. The Labor/Management Partnership Council, composed of
labor unions and government managers, will be one vehicle for Mayor William’s
privitization initiatives. The Department of Mental Health The Department of Motor Vehicles licenses
drivers and automobiles, among other duties. The National Capital Revitalization Corporation is an
appointed board that makes vitally important decisions about economic development. The Office of Neighborhood Services The Department of Parks and Recreation The Office of the Deputy Mayor for Planning and
Economic Development oversees planning and economic development issues. The Office of Planning The Office of Procurement The Office of Property Management manages the
real estate owned and leased by the District of Columbia government. The Office of the Public Advocate The Public Library system operates the
public libraries. Public Information Officers for Departments
and Agencies. The Public Schools are run both by an appointed
"Emergency Transitional Board of Trustees" and by the elected Board of
Education. The Public Service Commission is an independent agency
established by Congress to regulate the electric, gas, and telephone companies in the
District by functioning as a quasi-judicial agency. The Department of Public Works The Regional Mobility Panel, appointed by the Washington Area
Metropolitan Transit Authority, has issued a controversial report on the future of
regional bus service. The Office of the Special Assistant to the Mayor for Boards and
Commissions handles Mayoral appointments to city government boards and commissions.
This page lists the current vacancies on these boards.The Sports and Entertainment Commission
manages RFK Stadium and the DC Armory and promotes sports events. The Tax Revision Commission
examined the DC
tax code and recommended changes. The Office of Tax and Revenue, part of the
Office of the Chief Financial Officer, deals with personal, business, and
property taxes The Taxicab Commission regulates the taxicab industry. Telephone numbers for emergencies and more many departments
and agencies in city government. The University of the District of Columbia is
the state university. Youth Rehabilitation Services (formerly Youth
Services Agency) The Zoning Commission issues zoning regulations. Please E-mail the webmaster if you find an error or omission in any of the lists. | 
