Issues & Priorities
Anthony has clear priorities and a strong, unwavering vision for the future of Columbia Heights, one that holds promise and opportunity for all.
He is steadfast in his commitment to consistently assessing community needs, devising solutions to longstanding problems, rigorously evaluating District agency performance and service delivery, and exercising effective oversight to deliver for Columbia Heights. Anthony is also keenly focused on scrutinizing community-based organizations to understand their impact. Furthermore, he is determined to advance a commonsense public safety framework that unites the police and the community. Anthony is unwavering in his belief that addressing short-term goals, such as bolstering small and local businesses and enhancing our parks and public spaces, is crucial to the pursuit of long-term aims, such as driving greater economic development by attracting new businesses and organizations to the neighborhood while preventing the displacement of residents due to rising housing costs and building new housing where possible. Anthony is committed to pursuing progress with purpose that advances a stronger, healthier, and more vibrant Columbia Heights, setting our beloved neighborhood on a path of renewal and resilience that will ensure it remains the heart of the District.
Enhancing Public Safety & Justice
Anthony is keenly focused on advancing public safety through community-oriented policing strategies that build trust and collaboration between residents and law enforcement. These strategies ensure we return to the basics and provide the safe communities that all residents and families deserve. Anthony supports violence interruption programs and will fight for increased funding for community-based organizations working daily to reduce crime across Columbia Heights and the District. He will continue to work with his colleagues to push for a whole-of-government approach to reducing crime, supporting victims and survivors, and ensuring perpetrators of violent crime are swiftly arrested and prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law. Anthony also recognizes that diversion and other alternatives to incarceration are a necessity in some cases, so he will work to promote policies that address the root causes of criminalized behavior, such as food and housing insecurity, joblessness, lack of educational resources, and unmet mental health needs.
To ensure a safe neighborhood and equitable administration of justice for all, Anthony:
• Works with MPD to improve community policing efforts and promote a safe environment for all residents. MPD officers must get out of their vehicles to patrol our community and interact with neighbors to understand our safety concerns.
• Advocates for increased funding for public safety initiatives, investing in crime prevention programs like violence interrupters, and improving emergency response systems.
• Supports mental health programs, substance abuse treatment facilities like sobering centers, and initiatives that address the root causes of crime and violence and support the well-being of residents. However, I continue to oppose the location of the proposed stabilization center on Park Rd.
Improving Core City Services
As taxpayers, the most fundamental return on our investments for our households and communities is the assurance that we receive quality city services. Anthony will continue to ensure that every resident of Columbia Heights benefits from efficient, reliable, and high-quality city services. Anthony is fighting to improve city services and support enhanced funding to improve sanitation conditions around trash management by the Department of Public Works, rodent control and prevention by DC Health, and clean team services funded by the Department of Small and Local Business Development. Anthony is committed to fighting for the resources and policies necessary to enhance the core services vital to our community’s well-being. Enhancing the quality of life for all residents and building a stronger, cleaner, and safer neighborhood depends on it.
Anthony is focused on improving core city service delivery by:
Working closely with agencies like the Department of Public Works (DPW), Department of Transportation (DDOT, Department of Parks and Recreation (DPR), and the Department of General Services (DGS) to ensure accountability and responsiveness to key issues like streets and sidewalk improvements, park and social infrastructure fixes, regularly scheduled trash collection, and general facility maintenance.
Marshaling neighborhood engagement on wide-reaching matters like public space management and public realm improvements through the Permanent Special Committee on Public Life and Neighborhood Planning.
Advocating for green infrastructure projects, such as tree planting and stormwater management with bioretention cells installation and maintenance, to ensure environmental sustainability and flood prevention on many of our main corridors and side streets.
Fostering Small Business Growth & Economic Development
It's crucial for sustained economic development to create an environment that supports the growth of our small businesses. Anthony is committed to fighting for an environment that attracts, supports, and retains small, local businesses while creating job opportunities for all residents. His focus is on collaborating with community-based economic development organizations to attract new investments and businesses that align with the community's values and economic goals. This will ensure that we can offer a world-class neighborhood, allowing residents and visitors to live, eat, shop, sightsee, and generally enjoy all that Columbia Heights has to offer as the once and future “city within a city.”
To accomplish this vision, Anthony:
• Works tirelessly to foster an environment that attracts and supports local businesses, startups, and entrepreneurs and creates job opportunities for residents.
• Collaborates with economic development organizations to attract new investments and businesses that align with the community's values and economic goals.
Transforming Public Life & Spaces
Anthony is fully committed to championing vibrant, inclusive, and well-maintained public spaces that enhance community interaction and cultural expression for all residents, families, and visitors to our neighborhoods. He will continue to work tirelessly on policies that ensure the reimagining, overhauling, and maintenance of our parks, plazas, green spaces, and other recreational areas and support and expand public art projects.
Since taking office, Anthony has:
Focused on comprehensively addressing the longstanding problems and conditions at the Columbia Heights Civic Plaza.
Pushing District agencies to finally complete the full renovation of the neighborhood dog park, including working to get the land from WMATA and pushing the Department of General Services (DGS) to initiate plans with the Department of Parks and Recreation (DPR).
Ensured our community gathering spaces don't fall into a continued state of disrepair to guarantee that they are clean, accessible, and universally welcoming for everyone.
Used his chairmanship of the Permanent Special Committee on Public Life & Neighborhood Planning to chart a course that holistically transforms Columbia Heights’ public realm - much of which falls in SMD 1A06 - and ensures long-term community planning efforts, particularly as the District begins a full-scale rewrite of the Comprehensive Plan and implementation of the Columbia Heights (Mt. Pleasant) Public Life Study.
Engaging multiple agencies to address overlapping issues, such as managing sidewalk vending to ensure fair, organized, and enforceable permissible use of public space.
Increasing Affordable Housing and Driving Neighborhood Renewal
Rising housing costs in Columbia Heights and across the District are putting immense pressure on residents, leading to displacement and homelessness. To combat this crisis, Anthony is committed to increasing housing production and ensuring affordable housing options exist for residents at all income levels. By working with developers, housing providers, nonprofits, and government agencies, Anthony will continue to create a more inclusive and sustainable community that reflects our values - that housing is a fundamental right.
To address the issue of affordable housing, Anthony is and will continue working with developers, nonprofits, and government agencies to create affordable housing options for residents of all income levels, more specifically by:
• Advocating for responsible and inclusive planning and zoning policies that consider each neighborhood's unique character and needs, including Columbia Heights.
• Supporting initiatives that revitalize neglected areas to attract businesses and development, enhance enforcement for vacant and deteriorating buildings that often encourage illegal activity, improve our city’s infrastructure and make it more resilient, and enhance the quality of life for all residents.
Safe, Accessible, and Reliable Multimodal Transportation
Safe, reliable, and accessible transportation is a fundamental right for all residents, regardless of their circumstances. The District must prioritize substantial investments in transportation infrastructure to build a reliable and efficient system. Anthony will ensure that the once-in-a-generation federal investments in transportation infrastructure through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, the Inflation Reduction Act, and other local funding are directed toward repairing, maintaining, and expanding our roads and streets, bridges, and public transportation. Modernizing our infrastructure will enhance safety, reduce congestion, and improve travel times while ensuring our more significant multimodal transit strategy is better planned as we install priority bike lanes and support other micro-mobility expansion.
Anthony works to achieve these goals by:
• Advocating for enhancing pedestrian and cyclist safety by constructing dedicated lanes, crosswalks, and improved signage.
• Urging the Council to increase automatic traffic enforcement to deter reckless driving, improve overall road safety, and ensure revenues are directed toward traffic safety projects.
• Promoting public awareness campaigns on safe driving practices and adhering to traffic rules, notably through fully implementing key legislation like the STEER Act of 2024.
• Ensuring that our public transportation networks, including our Metro buses and trains, are meeting the needs of residents.
• Promoting the adoption of electric and hybrid vehicles in public and private transportation fleets and investing in renewable energy sources to power transportation infrastructure and reduce carbon emissions.
Promoting Good Government and Ensuring Transparency & Accountability
Transparency and accountability are the cornerstones of good government. In his role as the former Secretary and chief administrative officer of Advisory Neighborhood Commission 1A, Anthony worked tirelessly to enhance ANC 1A's operations, ensuring that our policymaking processes and public meetings are more open, accessible, and responsive to the needs of our community. Anthony is committed to continuing and expanding these efforts to build trust and engagement between ANC 1A and Columbia Heights residents while advocating for greater transparency and accountability in District government operations.
