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Office of Councilmember
Trayon White, Sr.
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December 5, 2025
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 In this edition...
Dear Ward 8 Residents,
Over the past week, we stood our ground for the future of recreation in Ward 8 by insisting that the Congress Heights and Douglass Recreation Centers are built to the specifications the community intended. Two bills came before the Council—one was defeated, and I chose to withdraw the second. I did that in good faith, trusting that my colleagues and I can reach an agreement with the Mayor to restore both the indoor pool at Congress Heights and the gym at Douglass that our community designed and deserves.
But let me be clear: if those commitments fall apart, I’ll bring the legislation back at our next meeting on December 16, the final legislative session of the year, and ask for a roll call vote so that we know where each council member stands. Some say our pools are underused. Well, if a pool is closed for repairs or shuttered because of budget cuts, how can our families use it? Indoor pools aren’t luxuries. They offer structured recreation, safe spaces for our young people, and real opportunities for residents of all ages to learn how to swim. And you know my belief: if we build it, they will come.
I’m not letting go of this fight. I’m counting on the Mayor and my Council colleagues to do right by Ward 8. And I’ll be right back on that dais on December 16 to press for the change our community asked for.
Last week, I held several community meetings focused on one thing: teaching Ward 8 residents how to advocate for what we need and deserve. Our city has a $21 billion budget, yet Ward 8 has too often been told to settle for scraps. That stops when we know the process and speak with one voice. We’re starting with our youth and our longtime residents to ensure everyone understands how policy works, how budgets get decided, and how to influence legislation that directly shapes our daily lives. More meetings are coming, so stay tuned.
A HUGE thank-you to everyone who came out for my 9th Annual Turkey Giveaway. Thanks to the incredible generosity of all our sponsors, partners, and volunteers, we were able to provide a turkey and fresh produce to nearly 1,000 Ward 8 families. I’m deeply grateful to my staff, our volunteers, and every neighbor who helped pack those bags with food and love. This is what community looks like. Check out our recap video and some of the television stories from that day: DC News Now & WUSA9.
Finally, thank you to the residents who sat down with me during my recent Tea Talks. I listened and took copious notes. In the weeks ahead, I’ll be following up with my team and colleagues on your ideas, concerns, and solutions, and reporting back to the broader community on the progress. Ward 8, let’s keep fighting for the resources, respect, and investment our community has long been owed. We are building a stronger Ward 8—together.
In solidarity,
~ Councilmember Trayon White, Sr.
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Celebrating, Serving, and Standing Strong in Ward 8
As the holiday season gets underway, our team has been moving with purpose across Ward 8. We visited seniors at Wheeler Creek to hear their concerns, met with Black Broadway leaders to discuss how we can support their work, and wrapped up our Tea Talk series with a final stop at Llama Bar in Navy Yard after earlier conversations at Sweet Tooth Café and IHOP. We also sat down with our young people for breakfast at IHOP to keep them engaged and connected — and of course, we kicked off the holiday season with our 9th Annual Turkey Giveaway at Union Temple, making sure families had what they needed heading into the holidays.
Check out the photos below to see what we’ve been up to!
 Click on photo to see our recap video.
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  Click on photo to see hearing highlights.
Legislative Meeting
The Congress Heights Recreation Center is going through its modernization process. The recreation center had previously been designed and funded to have an indoor pool. Nevertheless, DPR recently revealed a design that did not include the indoor pool, much to the displeasure of the Congress Heights community. I said I would introduce legislation to make sure the Congress Heights Recreation Center would have an indoor pool that the community desires, deserves and demands, and that’s exactly what I did. The Council considered my emergency legislation at our Tuesday, December 2 legislative meeting. If successful, the measure would have removed the main reason why the Department of General Services is saying the site cannot have an indoor pool. However, the required 2/3rds of my Council colleagues did not vote for my legislation, so it did not pass. That vote speaks volumes. If you’re on social media, please watch my remarks from the dais. While government narratives about the pool may shift, my commitment to advocate for Ward 8 and Congress Heights residents will not.
I also introduced emergency legislation to stop a request by the Mayor to take millions of dollars from the Anacostia Park pool replacement project and the Congress Heights Recreation Center to give to the Southeast Tennis and Learning Center’s expansion project. The removal of a pool from the recreation center’s design and the request to take money from the Congress Heights Recreation Center modernization are a one-two punch to the Congress Heights community. The request to take funds from the Anacostia Park pool and the Congress Heights Recreation Center also unnecessarily pitted Ward 8 communities against one another. The request to move these funds may not be legally allowed. The Council will revisit this issue at our next legislative meeting in two weeks.
At the legislative meeting, the Council also approved an extension of the mayor’s ability to declare a modified youth curfew, making it clear that like the MPD Chief, the Mayor’s authority to extend the youth curfew hours through successive orders is limited to no more than 30 consecutive days. The bill also provided a date that the ability to declare expanded curfew ends on April 15, 2026, well short of the 225 days that would have been but for the change.
Upcoming Hearings and Meetings
You can always find upcoming hearings through the Council’s Hearing Management System (HMS)
Committee of the Whole Oversight Hearing
Tuesday, December 9, 2025 2:00 PM Room 412
- Community Schools
- DC Accelerate Framework
- Multi-tiered systems of support
- B25-0540 - School Improvement Amendment Act of 2023
- RC25-0259 - Accelerate DC: A Vision for School Improvement
Committee of the Whole Oversight Hearing
Wednesday, December 10, 2025 2:30 PM Room 412
- Oversight of Education for Students with Special Needs
Committee on Health Hearing
Monday, December 15, 2025 12:00 PM Room 500
- B26-0438 - Medical Debt Mitigation Amendment Act of 2025
Next Legislative Meeting
- Tuesday, December 16, 2025
📺 How to Watch
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 There’s always something happening in and around Ward 8! Here are upcoming events and activities where you can connect with neighbors, celebrate our community, and stay engaged.
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 Ward 8 Resources
 
Additional Resources
Here are trusted services and nonprofits available to Ward 8 residents for housing, tenant rights, utility support, and more:
🏠 Housing & Tenant Help
💡 Utilities & Energy Support
🤝 Community & Nonprofit Resources
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Ward 8 Advisory Neighborhood Commission Meetings
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ANC 8A - Meets on the 1st Tuesday of the month | website
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ANC 8B - Meets on the 3rd Tuesday of the month | website
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ANC 8C - Meets on the 2nd Wednesday of month | website
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ANC 8D - Meets on the 4th Thursday of the month | website
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ANC 8E - Meets on the 1st Monday of the month | website
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ANC 6/8F - Meets on the 3rd Tuesday of the month | website
Do you know who your Advisory Neighborhood Commissioner is? Use this handy tool to find the contact information for your hyper-local elected official.
**We currently have two ANC vacancies in our ward--8D04 in Bellevue and 8E04 in Washington Highlands. If you are interested in running for the open seats, reach out to the Office of Advisory Neighborhood Commissions via email at oancs@dc.gov or by phone at (202) 727-9945.
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