Councilmember Bowser and Councilmember Evans held a joint hearing yesterday on B18-546 and B18-448. Both bills are an attempt to better define who gets hit with the city’s super-tax on problem buildings, which was essentially eliminated right as it started to produce results. I testified yesterday on four key points that I believe need to be addressed in the bills.

• Keep the vacant property registration system.
• Include ANCs in the exemption process.
• The proposed “blightedâ€� classification is too subjective. An objective system, such as DMV-style points, should be considered.
• Vacant (but not “blightedâ€�) properties are still a problem. Multi-year vacancies must also be taxed at a higher rate to promote their productive use.

My full testimony can be downloaded here. You can watch the full meeting online here. (My testimony begins at about 3:35:00, and then there is some Q&A at the end of the panel.)

(Cross-posted to my personal blog.)

Labels: anc, testimony, vacant property