Gore is one of hundreds of advisory neighborhood commissioners (often referred to as “ANCs” for short) throughout the district. The unpaid position is one of the most important yet easiest to fill in local politics, requiring 25 signatures to get on the November ballot. But as of Friday, 117 of the 345 commissioner seats had no candidates yet running, according to data from the D.C. Board of Elections.
Kent Bowes, executive director of the Washington Advisory District Council, which provides oversight and technical assistance to all ANCs, said in an interview that the numbers are not cause for concern. Some current council members are: He said receiving petitions and submitting signatures might wait until closer to the August 7 deadline, which could be completed in a day. Candidates who are not on the official ballot paper can also launch write-in campaigns during the general election, as dozens of ANC candidates did two years ago.
But Bose said he was “much more concerned” about the recent surge in commissioner turnover that has undermined the transfer of institutional knowledge. Sixty-three percent of the commissioners elected in the 2022 elections were new, he said, likely a sign of fatigue among incumbents.
In the interview, the veteran Commissioners said it wasn’t an easy decision to run again for a position that sometimes made them targets of angry neighbors. Some also described the position as challenging but thankless, saying it was hard to function as an ANC while juggling day jobs and family obligations. It has reignited debate over whether district council members should consider more incentives, such as allowances, to generate interest and make the race more competitive. A D.C. Council bill that could change that was debated last year.
Gore, who twice ran unsuccessfully for D.C. Congress, said he hesitated before deciding this month to begin the paperwork process to run for a third two-year term as an ANC councillor, citing mainly juggling work and family responsibilities.
“Some members of the community say, ‘Why would you do that?’ But I’m a public servant at heart,” Gore said. “There seems to be more hesitancy than before. This is the first time we’ve had to scramble to make sure people feel safe to take their seats.”
“Why did you do this?”
Legal analyst Michael Zeldin is a second-term ANC 3/4G committee member. it’s over.
Zeldin, 73, said the job is highly rewarding, but he also noted that he spends an average of 20 hours a week working on issues that residents care about deeply, from the long-stalled Connecticut Avenue bike lane project to solving “a pothole the size of New Jersey.”
“There are moments when you think, ‘Why was I so unlucky not to win?'” Zeldin said. “When things affect people, that frustration can come back to haunt you in a very difficult way. And when you hear stories of other commissioners resigning because of it, you can say, ‘I get it.’
The city ordinance directs many D.C. government agencies to give “great weight” to recommendations and concerns raised by the city’s 46 advisory neighborhood committees, which represent about 2,000 residents and are made up of two to 10 members depending on population density.
The commission’s duties include holding regular public meetings, managing a small budget, and frequently drafting resolutions to support or oppose things like zoning or liquor license renewals. But these elected officials are also the eyes, ears, and voice of the community. And for some, the role marks their first foray into local politics. Some of the city’s most prominent leaders, such as Mayor Muriel E. Bowser (Democrat), began their careers as commissioners.
Tricia Duncan, who chairs the seven-person committee that represents neighborhoods in Ward 3 that include Foxhall, Kent and Palisades, said she sometimes faced harsh treatment from neighbors during her time in office as the committee encouraged discussions on controversial proposals including marijuana dispensaries and a new school building. “To be honest with you, I wasn’t sure if I was going to run again,” said Duncan, a well-known community activist who ran unsuccessfully for Ward 3 Councilman two years ago.
“Seventy percent of what people say to me is nice – they thank me for watching their neighborhood, updating their mailing list, and that’s what keeps me going,” Duncan added. “But sometimes I get yelled at when I go to the farmers market… people yell at me and tell me I should be ashamed.”
Former Ward 4 Commissioner Zach Israel decided not to run for a second term in 2022 after the birth of his second child because he didn’t think he could juggle his work as a commissioner with caring for his growing family. But while some parts of the job were frustrating, Israel said even the more tedious parts were rewarding.
Though Israel is no longer an elected commissioner, she uses social media to keep residents updated on news, check ANC vacancies, and urges anyone who will listen to pick up the petition. She is a sponsor of a bill introduced by Council Member Christina Henderson (Independent, All Wards) and supported by a majority of council members that would create a task force to make recommendations regarding compensation for DC’s many elected officials, boards and commissions.
The law states that there are nearly two dozen city boards and commissions whose members receive compensation for their service.
“A lot is expected of ANC committee members, and mayors and ward councillors often refer their constituents to the ANC,” Israel said. “There needs to be some financial compensation for the people who perform these public services.”
“To be honest, it’s exhausting.”
Bose, executive director of the Washington, D.C., Advisory Neighborhood Committee and an ANC member for 12 years, said he believes more residents will submit petitions to gain voting rights in the coming weeks, but he remains focused on how to support the city’s many newbie committee members.
“Another big factor in the turnover rate in the last quarter is that doing your job during a pandemic has not been easy and, frankly, it’s been exhausting,” he said. “And for those who chose to continue working, there may have been lasting aftereffects.”
Bose said many commissioners don’t find their groove until the final few months of their first term. His office offers boot camps and training throughout the year to support new commissioners. And after early challenges during the pandemic, virtual and hybrid meetings have become mainstream. His office is now equipped to provide technology support.
Until the Legislature addresses the pay issue, Bose’s office is also pushing for ways to make notoriously complicated committee roles, like treasurer’s, more accessible to residents. Bose gave the example that until recently, ANCs could only be paid by cheque and debit card, but changes to the law his office pushed for allowed more flexibility for electronic payments.
“We still need checks and balances, but we also need a guiding path so that the committee isn’t hamstrung in trying to do the basic things,” Bose said. “It’s not flashy stuff, but sometimes it’s the details that matter.”
Across the Anacostia River, Rev. Wendy Hamilton, chairwoman of ANC 8D, is hoping more of her neighbors will show interest in getting involved. Her ANC has two open seats, and while some incumbents have expressed interest in returning, no one other than Rev. Hamilton has filed a petition to run.
She expects the seat will be filled, but after speaking with one of the current co-committees recently, it became clear he has no appetite for serving a second term.
“They told me, ‘What people don’t understand is that we’re not getting paid to do this,'” Hamilton says. “And they’re right. We’re not getting paid not only for the work we work so hard to do, but also for the not-so-friendly, borderline abusive behavior we’ve suffered.”
Every time Hamilton has a negative encounter with a resident, — He ran unsuccessfully for non-voting congressional representation in Washington, DC. — She said she draws on her background as a pastor.
“I just try to make people heard,” Hamilton said, “and a lot of times people just want to be recognized.”
