Every year, residents have the chance to let DC Council know how you think the agencies and programs that serve you are doing. That takes the form of Performance Oversight Hearings for every single District agency. This is a great opportunity to share what you think is working well, recommend how programs can be improved, and raise issues you are facing. You can submit written testimony, leave testimony over voicemail, or testify live. Use this new guide to learn about the budget process, identify the food-related program or issue you want to give feedback on, which agency and committee oversee, and steps on how to share your thoughts with decision makers.
Agencies that provide vital food service and their oversight dates:
How to register to testify live:
If you wish to testify live, you must register online two business days before the hearing. We will update the list above with links to register and submit written testimony for each hearing as they become available. You can also visit the DC Council Hearings Management System website, click the hearing you want to testify at, and click the “Register to Testify” button at the upper right of the page. For more information about how to navigate the Council Hearings website, please click here.
If you need language interpretation including American Sign Language (ASL) interpretation, please be sure to request at the time of registration no later than five (5) business days before the hearing.
How to submit written testimony:
On each hearing page, click the “Submit Testimony” button at the upper right corner. You can either type directly or upload a file. To upload your testimony in either Adobe PDF, Microsoft Word, Apple Pages, or a plain text file, click “Upload my Testimony.” For more information about how to navigate the hearing website, click here.
Tips on providing live testimony:
Your testimony should include the following:
- Thank Committee Chair for convening the hearing and greet any other Councilmembers who are present
- Briefly introduce yourself and/or your organization/business
- Explain the issue you care about and your experience with the program or service you are testifying about.
- Express any concerns or suggestions you have to improve agency services and programs.
- Close by thanking the Councilmember(s) for listening and re-stating clearly your main point or recommendations.
As an individual, you typically have 3 minutes to speak. Your written testimony can be as long as you like and include more information than you read aloud in your allotted time. Remember that one page of double-spaced text (about 250 words) takes about 2 minutes to read aloud.
Be sure to practice reading your testimony aloud before the hearing and time how long it takes you. Practicing will help stay within the time limits and make your points clearly and succinctly.
After you testify, councilmembers may ask follow-up questions about your testimony. It’s ok if you’re not an expert or don’t know the answer to a question. You can always say, “I’ll get back to you.”
You will not be assigned a specific time to testify but rather you will be expected to be present when your name is called. You may estimate when this will be based on the witness list that is shared the day before the hearing. When it is your turn to testify, you will be called on. You will need to have access to/be able to be on Zoom. The virtual hearing will be publicly visible.
Building a more equitable, healthy, and sustainable District food system 