While the focus of the election season is on the office of president, D.C. Council, and Board of Education races, advisory neighborhood commission contests, particularly some east of the Anacostia River, are proving to be just as intriguing.
On Nov. 8, District residents will elect Advisory Neighborhood Commissioners in 296 single-member districts. In Wards 7 and 8 heated races are already taking place.
Cinque Culver is an ANC candidate for 7D04 in Ward 7. (Linkedin Photo)
“I am running for commissioner because I want to get more done in my community,” Cinque Culver, a River Terrace resident making his first run for public office in district 7D04 in Ward 7, told the AFRO. “I would like to see the commission’s money used to fund scholarships for children located in my district, help upgrade the recreation center here, and improve interaction with the Office of Aging.”
Culver’s opponent is Joann Prue. Prue refused to grant the AFRO an interview after she found out that Culver was interviewed first.
Advisory Neighborhood Commissions are bodies of local government created through referendum in the Home Rule Act. Commissioners represent a single-member district that consists of approximately 2,000 residents and consider a wide range of policies and programs affecting their neighborhood, including traffic, street improvements, liquor licenses and zoning.
Commissioners are elected to two-year terms and don’t receive a salary. District government agencies are required by law to give “great weight” to commission decisions.
Some commissioners have risen in the city’s political ranks such as former D.C. Mayor Adrian Fenty and D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser (D) as well as D.C. Council Chairman Phil Mendelson (D) and council members Anita Bonds (D-At Large), Brianne Nadeau (D-Ward 1), and Jack Evans (D-Ward 2).
Mary Cuthbert is vying for the 8C07 seat. (Courtesy Photo)
One of the city’s longest serving commissioners is Mary Cuthbert, who has represented Congress Heights in Ward 8. Cuthbert moved to a new home recently and now lives in district 8C07 and is challenging 8C commission chairman Charles Lindsay for his seat.
“I started a task that I want to see through completion,” Cuthbert told the AFRO. Cuthbert is a force in the development of the St. Elizabeths East campus. “I helped started it and I want to see that it is completed.”
Cuthbert said that St. Elizabeths can serve as an entertainment hub and Lindsay doesn’t argue with that. “I have lived here my entire life and there are new things coming to the ward down the pike,” he told the AFRO. “We need economic development in this ward and people should not have to go across the [Anacostia} River or to Maryland and Virginia for amenities. This is why I am the best person to represent this district.”
Jonathan Steele, also running in Ward 8, said that Cuthbert and Lindsay are out of touch and that he would be the best commissioner for 8C07. “The residents are concerned about crime and violence in the community,” Steele said. “I think I can do more than the present commissioner on those issues and do more.”
Anthony Lorenzo Green moved back to Ward 7 after residing in Ward 8 for several years and serving as commission 8B chair. Green is a candidate for the Deanwood-based district 7C04 and wants to continue his service as a commissioner. “I have been a part of the conversation on this city’s direction for four years and I would like to continue that,” he told the AFRO. “There are changes coming in our community and our voices need to be heard.”
However, Alex Bess, a 10-year resident of 7C04, has plans for his neighborhood too. “I want to impact the lives of the people who live here,” Bess told the AFRO. “I want to create a better neighborhood and more private enterprise here in the community.”
Dontrell Smith, who lives in Marshall Heights, wants to be the commissioner for 7E06 and pledges to be proactive if elected. “I want to be an active commissioner,” Smith told the AFRO. “I had never met my commissioner until I decided to get into the race. We need someone who will put the work in and step up and be a leader.”
LaKeisha Lloyd-Lee is the present commissioner for 7E06 and pledges to work for her troubled constituents if re-elected. “I am running for my kids and the elderly,” she said to the AFRO. “I don’t care about bike lanes or an express train on Benning Road. There is too much crime in the community and I want to do something about that.”
Adrian Polite said that he will be more community-focused if elected to represent 7E06. “Change is coming to Marshall Heights,” Polite told the AFRO. “The average cost of a home here is now $400,000 and there is talk of bike lanes on Benning Road. I think commission 7E isn’t doing the best it can for the residents because they aren’t putting there money into the community.”