Candidate Profile: John Fanning For Ward 2 Seat On DC Council

WASHINGTON, DC — There are 29 candidates running for the D.C. City Council in the June 2 primary. In addition, candidates will be facing off in a June 16 special election to fill the vacant Ward 2 seat.

Patch asked the candidates to describe their qualifications and visions for the District.

John Fanning, 56, is a Democrat running in the June 2 Primary and the June 16 Special Election for the vacant Ward 2 seat.

Does anyone in your family work in politics or government?

No

Education

BA, Public Administration

Occupation

Over 20 years of experience working in District Government: Worked for several previous mayors as the Ward 2 Community Liaison, 6 terms ANC Commissioner, 5 Terms Chair, ANC 2F, most recently worked as a compliance officer with DSLBD.

Previous or Current Elected or Appointed Office

ANC Commissioner 2F04 (12 years)
Chair, ANC 2F (10 years)
DC Representative, Georgetown Waterfront Park Commission

Campaign website

www.fanningforwar2.com

What makes you the best candidate for this office?

Experience and proven record of getting results for Ward 2 residents and businesses. Now more than ever, it is critical that Ward 2 residents elect a leader with the right kind of experience to help guide our city's response to this pandemic, and beyond. We need someone who has worked with local government and understands how to leverage its power and overcome its limitations. We also need leaders who have not only been civically active in the Ward but have also made significant contributions to improving our neighborhoods.

We need a leader who understands that the role of a Councilmember is to legislate, provide oversight of government agencies and to provide world-class constituent services that empower all residents. We need leaders who have not been damaged by ethics lapses and will work for all residents, not just the powerful and well-connected. We need a leader who will be the people’s advocate.

I am that leader. I am a longtime, grassroots community leader who is running for Council to be accessible to all residents and ensure your voices are heard. My experience in local government and Chair of ANC2F has made me an effective leader who gets things done.

How will you help the city recover from the economic impact of the coronavirus?

The containment and prevention of the spread of the virus should be the highest priority at this time. However, the full economic impact of this outbreak has yet to be felt. It is important that the city begin to develop a plan to address the long-term impact of a prolonged outbreak. Fortunately, the city is in the best financial shape it has been in years. We need to identify emergency funds so that the government can:

• Guarantee up to 2-3 weeks of paid sick leave for workers who have to self-quarantine after being exposed to the virus. Not every resident has access to generous sick leave benefits, and we must make sure that residents do not have to make a choice between working or staying at home, due to financial concerns.
• Provide impacted District workers access to a DOES administered 30-Day Temporary Emergency Unemployment Insurance Fund to reimburse hourly and part-time workers for lost wages due to the outbreak.
• Develop a fund for businesses whose bottom line will be severely impacted by a loss of revenue caused by this emergency. We are already seeing a significant reduction in tourism and several major conventions have been cancelled. There is no doubt that as the outbreak continues, our annual Cherry Blossom Festival will be impacted.
• Be prepared to make tough choices in the future. There will be a long-term impact on the city's revenue because of this crisis. One of the most important jobs as councilmember is to make tough choices during difficult times.

Like many of you, I am very concerned about the impact of the coronavirus. This has the potential of being one of the greatest challenges we have faced as a city. However, I am confident in the leadership of our city and the resilience of our residents.

Throughout the coronavirus pandemic, Mayor Muriel Bowser has talked about the longstanding inequities that have been exposed by the coronavirus. She also has talked about this being an opportunity for the city to address those inequities. What are your thoughts on this?

During the COVID-19 emergency, I have led a team of campaign and community volunteers in delivering food to our most vulnerable residents, including many seniors. As Councilmember, I will support efforts to reduce infections, build a robust contract tracing system to prevent any secondary outbreak and provide oversight to ensure an equitable distribution of a vaccine when it becomes available.

I will ensure that future budgets reflect our values and prioritize support for the most vulnerable members of our community, particularly communities of color that have been disproportionately impacted by this pandemic. I will ensure that all agencies are getting the maximum return for their expenditures and support programs and direct investments in small businesses to get residents back to work.

I have faith that our city and country will emerge from these challenging times. There are many valuable lessons to be learned as this pandemic has spotlighted the disparities facing some of our neighbors. This pandemic has also spotlighted the resilience our residents and of our City. Ward 2 needs a leader with the right kind of compassion, experience, and readiness to do the job on day one. I hope you will vote for me to provide the leadership that our Ward needs.

What do you see as the biggest issue besides the coronavirus recovery facing D.C.?

Housing Affordability. The Council just introduced the Rental Housing Act Extension Amendment Act of 2019 that extends DC’s rent control laws till 2030. While I support the extension of rent control till 2030, I believe the law should be expanded to include buildings built before 1995. I would address closing rent control loopholes by introducing legislation that prohibits rent increases to be based upon anything other than actual rent paid, thus closing the loophole on rent rebates or other means of circumventing our rent control law.

Historic neighborhood designations, high density and the high cost of land provide challenges for large-scale housing projects in Ward 2. Despite these constraints, I believe housing goals for Ward 2 can be achieved by:

• Building workforce housing on District-owned property. We need a survey of District-owned properties that are currently underbuilt and could support housing. One location where I would consider building new housing is the District Recorder of Deeds Building, located on 515 D Street NW. There are many opportunities to build on District-owned properties, but the city lacks a comprehensive strategy for how we should use publicly owned properties to address our housing shortage.
• Public/Private Partnerships with faith-based institutions to leverage land or under-utilized surface parking lots to create new housing opportunities in Ward 2. As an ANC Commissioner, I have worked with the New Bethany Baptist Church, Department of Housing and Community Development (DHCD) and a private developer to bring 48 units of senior housing to a church-owned lot located at 11th and N Street NW.
• In addition to creating much needed low-income senior housing in the Ward, the church was able to use proceeds from this project to fund the restoration of their house of worship. I have also taken part in discussions with DHCD and the Vermont Avenue Baptist Church to bring new housing opportunities to two lots that the church owns on 12th and Q Street NW and Vermont and R Street NW.
• ADUs and tiny homes offer the cheapest and most effective way to increase Ward 2’s affordable housing stock, and I would support using government incentives and tax breaks to encourage residential homeowners to build more ADUs and tiny houses on their property.

What is your position on statehood for D.C.?

Yes!!!

What accomplishments in your past would you cite as evidence you can handle this job?

My 20 years of experience in local government and Chair of ANC2F has made me an effective leader who can get things done. In addition to working to save Garrison Elementary School from closure, I helped open the first Farmers Market in Dupont Circle, organized the first ever rat summit, and helped small business owners get established in Ward 2 neighborhoods. I am a longtime, grassroots community leader who is running for Council to be accessible to all residents and ensure your voices are heard. My experience in local government and Chair of ANC2F has made me an effective leader who gets things done. Here is a link to my website (https://fanningforward2.com/accomplishments/), detailing a fraction of my accomplishments to make Ward 2 a better place to live, work and play.

The best advice ever shared with me was:

There are no shortcuts in life.

What else would you like voters to know about yourself and your positions?

Now more than ever, it is necessary for Ward 2 residents elect a leader with the right kind of experience. My 20-year of experience in District Government, six terms as ANC Commissioner 2F04 and five terms as Chair of ANC2F have made me an effective leader who understands the inner workings of government and can gets things done. I have a demonstrated track record of accomplishments. I understand the challenges facing our city, have a vision for what needs to be done, and have the capability to carry it out to improve the lives of all Ward 2 residents.

Here are the first steps that I will take after being elected the next Ward 2 Councilmember:

1. Prioritize support to the most vulnerable members of our community who have been impacted by the pandemic and support programs and direct investments in small businesses that will get people back to work.
2. Hold virtual and eventual in-person meetings with residents, community leaders and business owners across Ward 2, to identify priorities and create neighborhood-specific Action Plans for Ward 2.
3. Hold meetings with all agency directors and staff who provide direct service to residents in Ward 2 to develop a comprehensive plan for the delivery of services, during and post-COVID-19.
4. Monitor the government’s response to the pandemic and where appropriate, make suggestions on how to improve the delivery of government and public health services.
5. Priorities programs and services for Ward 2 residents during the upcoming budget formulation process and provide vigorous legislative oversight of DC Departments and Agencies.

Read Other Ward 2 Candidate Profiles:

• Jack Evans
  
• Jordan Grossman
• Patrick Kennedy
  
• Brooke Pinto
  
• Kishan Putta
  
• Katherine Venice
  
• Yilin Zhang