Call DC Council to say: Fund housing and economic needs, not tax cuts for millionaires

The Mayor’s proposed budget slashed vital lifelines for residents struggling to make ends meet, including emergency rental assistance (ERAP), permanent supportive housing (PSH) for families and individuals that are homeless, and cash assistance for excluded workers. We can fund these programs if the council votes to stop the tax rate cut for wealthy investors!

Call the Council on Monday, May 15 before the first vote on the budget and tell them you are counting on them to stop this tax cut and fund these essential programs.

Use the script below as a guide, but feel free to share any personal reasons for why you are making this phone call. Once you call the first Councilmember, please call the next. If you are Ward 3 resident, please start with calling Ward 3 Councilmember Frumin.

At-large Councilmember Robert White: (202) 724-8174
At-large Councilmember Christina Henderson: (202) 724-8105
Ward 3 Councilmember Matt Frumin: (202) 724-8062

(If you get voicemail instead of a staffer, please hang up and try back in a few minutes if you can. If you call a few times and still keep getting voicemail, feel free to leave a message using the script below.)

Script
My name is ______ and I am a Ward ___ resident (and/or I work for ____organization). I am calling to urge the councilmember to vote to keep in place the current deed tax rates for commercial properties over $2 million. Maintaining the rates will allow us to bring in the revenue we need to fund essential programs like emergency rental assistance (ERAP), permanent supportive housing (PSH), and cash assistance for excluded workers. We must not give tax cuts to wealthy real estate investors while so many members of our community are suffering with drastic cuts to the safety net.

This is the single best opportunity we have to fund the priorities you and other councilmembers have named, without raising taxes. Tuesday’s vote is our only opportunity to do so. We are counting on the councilmember to be a champion for a fair budget.