DC Budget Process and Food Policy 

Are you a resident or business owner in the District? Are you having trouble accessing food, food assistance programs, grants, or other opportunities that help ensure a robust food system where all DC residents have access to healthy, local foods? Do you have suggestions on how to improve the District’s food policy programs? If so, you might be interested in the DC Budget Process.  

Download the printable guide
  1. What is the budget process? 
  2. Why it’s important to engage? 
  3. How does the budget get decided?
  4. Which hearing to sign up for?
  5. How do I sign up for a hearing?
  6. How do I submit written testimony?
  7. How can I contact the appropriate Committee Staff?
  8. Tips for writing testimony
  9. Tips for testifying live 
  10. Useful Links and Resources 

What is the budget process? 

The budget process is how the executive branch (Executive Office of the Mayor (EOM)) and legislative branch (DC Council) work together to make financial decisions for the city. The process begins with the Council requesting a budget from the Mayor and setting a deadline for its submission. The District agencies work internally on their requests which then go to EOM and the Office of the Chief Financial Officer (OCFO) for consideration. In late March, the Mayor’s full budget request is sent to the DC Council for consideration. 

At the same time, Council committees are reviewing the past year of each agency’s performance, through a series of hearings called Performance Oversight. Residents, organizations, and the agencies themselves testify before Council about the past year’s work, impact, and budget use. 

Once the Council receives the Mayor’s budget, Council committees hold a series of hearings that include discussions of each agency and its programs. During these hearings, residents, organizations, and the agencies themselves have a chance to testify before the Council about the contents of the budget. The Council can then accept the Mayor’s proposal as submitted or make changes based on the budget hearings.  

Note: While this resource was developed specifically for engagement on the budget, these same tips can be used to testify at hearings on specific legislation or during Performance Oversight. 

Why it’s important to engage? 

Council members use hearing testimony from residents, organizations, and agencies to make decisions about adjusting the Mayor’s proposed budget. Resident testimony really does make a difference! For instance, the DC Council has repeatedly made increases to food access programs, such as Healthy Corners, Produce Plus, Joyful Food Markets, and Produce Rx, in response to public testimony and feedback about these programs. 

How does the budget get decided?

Typically, Mayor’s budget will be submitted to the Council in mid-March. Around that time the Council will release dates for hearings for each agency’s budget, as well as Committee of the Whole hearings for the entire budget. You can keep track of the hearing schedule here. 

Which hearing to sign up for?

DC has many food and food adjacent programs, and they are overseen by a variety of agencies. You can use this chart to identify which agency oversees the program you would like to testify about. You can get more information about each committee here. 

How do I sign up for a hearing?

To testify at a hearing, you must register online at least 2 days in advance. To register, visit the Council’s Hearing Schedule page and click on the hearing you wish to testify at. On the hearing page, click “Register to Testify” on the top right to testify at the live hearing. When you register to testify, you will need to indicate what topic you want to discuss in your testimony by checking the box next to that topic. You will also indicate if you are testifying as an individual or an organization. Organizations typically have 5 minutes to testify, and individuals typically have 3 minutes—however, these times are subject to change by the Committee Chair. If you need interpretation services (language or ASL), you can reach out to the committee staff at least 5 days before the hearing for assistance.  

How do I submit written testimony?

On the hearing page you can also click “Submit Testimony” to submit written testimony. Written testimony is allowed whether or not you testify at the live hearing, and is one way that you can ensure that you can say everything you want to say even if you run out of time at the hearing. If you aren’t testifying live, you should click “Record testimony,” and if you are testifying live you should click “Live testimony.” This will help the committee to match up your live comments with your written ones. You can upload a pdf, word, pages, or text files, or directly type your testimony into the text box. Don’t forget: everything that you say in your testimony, whether spoken or written, is part of public record and will be published to the hearing page. 

How can I contact the appropriate Committee Staff?

It is important to know how to contact the committee staff associated with the programs you’re testifying about. Direct engagement with Committee staff, through emails, calls, or in-person meetings, is an effective way to give feedback on the budget. In addition, staff can help ensure you receive interpretation services, record a voicemail testimony submission, or answer other questions about the hearing or the topics being covered. You can find the staff for each committee on the Council’s Committees page. When contacting a Committee, email the Committee Chairperson and Committee Director. When contacting an individual Councilmember, be sure to include their Legislative Director on your email.

Tips for writing testimony

It’s a good idea to write out your testimony, even if you are delivering it in person. This can help you feel prepared, as well as ensure that you include everything you want to say without leaving anything out. You can then expand upon that written document by including more details for a written testimony submission.  

Do: 

  • Thank the Committee Chair for the opportunity to testify and greet any other Councilmembers present. 
  • Provide a short introduction to who you are and your organization or business (if you have one). 
  • Explain the issue that you care about and what program or service you are testifying about. 
  • Share any concerns or suggestions you have for improving the program, as well as any success stories. Councilmembers do like to hear about what is going well, in addition to what needs improvement. 
  • Share some personal stories about your experience and point to specific examples where possible.  
  • Conclude with a thank-you to the Councilmembers, and a recap of your key points. 

Don’t: 

  • Get too bogged down in nuanced explanations. These take a long time and are often confusing! You can be more detailed in your written testimony. 
  • Jump right in without introducing yourself or your organization. 
  • Talk too quickly! It’s best to practice reading your testimony in front of a mirror or another person before delivering it at the hearing. 

For a good guide on what to include in your testimony, you can access this resource from the DC Office of the Student Advocate. 

Tips for testifying live 

As an individual you’ll typically have 3 minutes to speak (while representatives of organizations often receive 5 minutes). A 3-minute testimony is about one typed page single-spaced. It’s a good idea to practice reading your testimony out loud before the hearing. It is also a good idea to submit your written testimony in advance, though you have until 1- days post hearing to submit written comments.  

Hearings take place either virtually or in a hybrid fashion, so you may have the opportunity to participate in person or via Zoom. If you don’t have access to a computer and can’t come in person, you can call into the Zoom meeting with your phone. On the day of the hearing you can look up where you are on the witness list by visiting the Hearing Page.  

This can help you gauge how long into the hearing you might have to wait before being called upon. It’s important to pay attention to what is happening in the hearing because the witnesses ahead of you may not show up. In this case you may be called upon a lot earlier than expected.  

Once you’ve finished speaking, you should wait until the other witnesses in your group finish their testimonies. At that time the Councilmembers may have questions for you. It’s ok if you don’t know the answer! You can always say, “I’ll get back to you” and follow up at a later date.