As the Delta variant continues to spread, please remember to wear your mask indoors and get vaccinated. For more information on where to get vaccinated in the District, visit: coronavirus.dc.gov/page/get-vaccinated. We will continue to monitor the latest CDC guidelines and work together to help those in our community remain safe while in-person activity continues. DC is still open. At the Council, we are preparing to conclude our budget season with a final vote tomorrow, Tuesday, August 10th. After that time, the District government will begin working towards the implementation of the Fiscal Year 2022 budget, which will go into effect at the beginning of October 2021. I am proud of this budget and thank my colleagues and the many advocates and neighbors for working with me to ensure that we leveraged this budget opportunity to address the many inequities and challenges exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic and firmly set ourselves on a path to recovery. After tomorrow’s budget vote, the Council will enter recess until September 30th. During recess, the Council will not vote on any legislation or hold any public hearings or roundtables. However, our office will still be open to support constituent requests, address community needs, and prepare for the next legislative session.

Today, the Council voted to pass the Local Budget Act for Fiscal Year 2022. This legislation outlines the ways in which we will spend our local tax dollars to fund government programs and initiatives across our city.This was the second vote on the Local Budget Act. On July 20th, immediately following the first vote, my office sent an update to neighbors to highlight the many important proposals that had been included. Those proposals included funding to increase the District’s affordable housing stock, alleviate homelessness, increase mental health supports in our public schools, and support our small businesses and local workforce, among many others.To read our full budget update from July 20th, please click here. In this newsletter, I am sharing information on some of the additional items and enhancements included today to make the Local Budget Act stronger and more comprehensive.

We have all been horrified by the gun violence epidemic that continues to plague our city. After suffering the tragic loss of 6-year-old Nyiah Courtney, and hearing shots outside of the Nationals Stadium, we also witnessed recent shootings in the 14th street corridor and in other neighborhoods throughout our city.Please know that I am devoted to working with my colleagues, our Mayor, Attorney General, the Metropolitan Police Department, the United States Department of Justice, and other public safety partners to provide a comprehensive approach to address this violence to include increasing investments in violence interruption, community investment and diversion programs, and also ensuring people who commit these unacceptable crimes are held accountable. We will be receiving support from the United States Department of Justice (DOJ) to combat the illegal firearms that have been flowing into our city from other jurisdictions. On the legislative front, I have co-introduced legislation to bring a ranked-choice voting system to our city and voted to establish a bonds program to help secure the financial futures of our youngest residents to help close the racial wealth gap. The Council also took its first votes on legislation concerning the Fiscal Year 2022 budget to pass sweeping supports for our residents, families, parks, and businesses. You can read more on these items in this newsletter.

This Saturday, Councilmember Pinto joined Kendis Gibson and Lindsey Reiser on MSNBC to discuss the District’s efforts to address the gun violence epidemic and our participation in the United States Department of Justice's (DOJ) cross-jurisdictional Firearms Trafficking Strike Forces.

In a recent interview with iHeart Radio station 1047 Wonk FM, Councilmember Pinto shared more about why she introduced the Business and Entrepreneurship Support to Thrive Amendment Act of 2021, or BEST Act, which will help to eliminate financial barriers for residents looking to launch new businesses in the District of Columbia.

In a discussion with the Washington Post, Councilmember Pinto shared why she felt that a tax increase at this time was not the best course of action and her desire to see the Tax Revision Commission conduct a comprehensive assessment of our entire tax code – including individual, corporate, capital gains, and property taxes, and more – before making adjustments.

Today, the Council convened for the first budget votes on the Fiscal Year 2022 Local Budget Support Act of 2021 and the Fiscal Year 2022 Local Budget Act of 2021, legislation that will dictate the spending of our local dollars and provide the legislation needed to ensure that our priorities are met.At the start of this budget cycle, I shared with you my goals of ensuring that we come together to support our small businesses, expand affordable housing options especially for our neighbors experiencing homelessness, empowering women and girls, and making our neighborhoods and communities safer for all residents.In this letter, I am proud to share with you some of the priorities we are funding to meet the needs of Ward 2 families, residents, and businesses, as well as taking very important steps to improve outcomes in the areas of childcare, education, transportation and sustainability, and the arts for residents across the city.

Councilmember Pinto shared her thoughts about the District’s non-compete laws and talked about how she is working to develop a pragmatic approach to ensure that District workers have mobility and freedom in their career choices and that employers can maintain a competitive workforce.

In an interview with the Washington Business Journal, Councilmember Pinto spoke about the District’s non-compete laws and ways she is working on a pragmatic approach to ensuring our workers have mobility and freedom in their career choices and that employers can maintain a competitive workforce.

It is wonderful to connect with you on what marks my first full year in office! Yesterday marked one year since I was sworn in to serve the residents of Ward 2. It has been my honor to join you as we work to make Ward 2 an even better place to live, work, study, and visit! Thank you all for putting your trust in me to do this work; I will never lose sight of who this work is for and the important impacts our decisions have on the lives of our neighbors. We are in for a busy week at the Council and are heading into the final stretch of budget oversight. As we have concluded all public hearings, each Council Committee will now review and vote on the budgets of the agencies and offices under its purview. After that, the committee-level budgets will be compiled and passed on for a full council vote. I am proud of the progress my colleagues and I have made. Together, we have funded programs to support our economic recovery, provide additional means to develop affordable housing, move our unhoused neighbors into housing, support teachers and students, and make our communities safer.