This article is part of our Ward 7 coverage, led by our community connector program. This work connects us directly to D.C.'s communities, prioritizing those often misrepresented or underrepresented in the media, so that we can better understand how to meet their information needs. If you’re a Ward 7 resident, we want to hear from you.
When dozens of Ward 7 residents gathered around cafeteria tables last week to discuss their priorities, it was mental health services, grocery stores, small business opportunities, and caregivers for seniors that topped the list.
With Mayor Muriel Bowser slated to drop a draft of the FY2027 budget on April 1, Ward 7 Councilmember Wendell Felder convened the town hall at Maya Angelou Public Charter School so that residents could get involved in the process.
Derrick Lewis, a Ward 7 resident, attended because he wanted to figure out how the budgeting system works and where taxpayer dollars are actually spent. As a co-founder of Mute the Violence DC, a nonprofit that helps stop gun violence in the community, he brought his kids and other young people he works with so they could learn how to be a part of government.
“We came to try to get active, try to connect the community to politics,” Lewis said, adding that he hopes the kids he brought will ultimately “allow themselves to be heard and allow their voices to speak to people who are in [the] position to make the decisions.”
Similar events are being held across the city as the council prepares to hold hearings and do markups on the mayor’s proposed budget, which will ultimately lead to a vote on the final version. Budget funds are broken down into two categories: the operating budget, which covers the day-to-day things that keep D.C. working, and the capital budget, which is used to build, renovate, and repair things like schools and roads. Last year, the combined budgets totaled about $24.5 billion, according to Jennifer Budoff, D.C. Council’s Budget Director.
(William "Phresh Ingredient" Clarke IV)
Early on in the evening, residents hunched over large sheets of paper, brainstorming needs for their ward: youth employment, bolstering services like food assistance, better funding for fine arts in schools, and increased parks and recreation programming. After that, everyone placed green stickers on their top priorities.
Cynthia Perry, a longtime D.C. resident and a senior who no longer drives, says that getting around her ward has become more difficult since the new bus routes were implemented last year.
“If you want to get up on Saturday and do some early shopping, you can’t do it ‘cause they’ve cut the bus lines,” Perry said.
Katrina Norman, an entrepreneur and Fort Dupont resident, is proud to live and work in Ward 7, but does a lot of her business in Ward 8 because of a plethora of grants, pilot programs, and residents who want to help small business owners.
“A lot of the things that I feel like we lack in Ward 7, specifically, are incubators, hubs, resources, things like that for small business owners,” Norman said. “We should be promoting entrepreneurship, small businesses, within our own communities.”
Some of the ward’s budget wins last year, according to Felder, included: $21 million for the second phase of a mixed-income housing and retail development project in Hill East, $18 million for a new Recreational Center in River Terrance, and $100,000 for two senior villages in the Ward. Felder also mentioned the heavily debated $681 million redevelopment of RFK Stadium, saying the Commanders' new home will be “the largest economic development project in the history of the district.”
The ward is “defined by our strengths, our talents and our limitless potential, and the budget is one of the most powerful tools we have to unlock that potential,” Felder said at the event.
While residents were excited to talk about the budget, the reality of it’s likely shortfalls was in the air. With threats of a recession looming, the city is facing a gap of over $1 billion when comparing this year’s budget to next year’s. In some ways, that may make community engagement even more important.
“I’m from Ward 7, I’ve been a Ward 7 resident all my life,” Norman said. “And the budget is going to affect me, so I am glad [Felder] opened up this town hall to share our feedback.”
George Kevin Jordan is a freelance writer, editor, and author with more than 25 years of experience. He currently lives in Ward 7, and is still discovering new things about the District.
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